Mirage of Lies - the 73rd Games
by Red Castellan
Summary: "If your foundation is based on lies, how can you expect it to stand the test of time?"
1. Chapter 1

**Sagittarius "Sage" Ryans (19) Victor of 72** **nd** **Games**

It had been three months since our forces stormed into the Capitol to rescue our captive fellow rebels, and they were all in hiding. But Regal, who had traded himself in exchange for the rebels (the promise was not carried out and we had to carry out a rescue mission), had escaped Vice President Nerissa's clutches. Everyone had been looking for him all through the country, friend and foe, but none found him.

There was no news from the rebels since a month, except that Haley, another victor from Four and my friend, visited often, but never mentioned anything about our allies. Tensions were high in Panem, with every victor under suspicion of being associated with the underground rebellion that was going on. There had been numerous bombings in the Capitol that were never reported by the media. Capitolites were disappearing, and yet they did not know what to do. The rebels whom they had captured earlier were all into hiding, and so was the only victor whom they knew was a rebel- Cress Woods Junior. I missed him, and hadn't heard anything from him ever since he escaped.

The lack of news was beyond frustrating. Haley never said anything for the fear of being heard, and the Victor's Village in Four had become a place full of people who were too frightened to say anything. Nobody wanted to be suspected, nobody wanted their families to be punished. I didn't either. But I was against their tyranny, the fact that they exercised so much control, the fact that they had brainwashed the Career Districts into _loving_ everything wrong with this country, and the fact that the love of my life died right in front of my eyes in the Games. I wished it was Kitty who was alive right now, instead of me. She would have handled everything well.

As I stared at her painting on the wall of my room, her cat ears still making me grin like an idiot, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at Haley, who was smiling at me sadly. Her long hair brushed against my arm and I sighed.

"I'm not ready for this," I said, trying to keep my voice composed.

"I know," she whispered, "But you know how it is. A new victor has to mentor the tributes, unless somebody volunteers to do so instead. Had Cress been here, I'm sure he would have done so himself. But…"

"But Cress isn't here," I sighed, "Look, Haley, is nobody ready to take my place? One of the older victors?"

"I talked to them Sage," she replied, her voice even lower than before, "But they refused. Nobody wants to do anything about it."

"But I'm not ready!" I screamed, jumping to my feet. Rage boiled inside my heart as I looked at my friend, my breath heaving, my heart beating fast. Why didn't anyone get it?! I was not ready to mentor kids! _I_ was a kid! I couldn't erase the images from my mind, images that gave me nightmares even a year after the horror. I didn't even know what I had to do in order to mentor anyone! Why did nobody get that I was too young to take the burden on my heart if I couldn't bring my tributes home?! Even if I had a victor, I would still lose another kid! Why didn't anyone _understand_?!

"You are ready, Sage," Haley said firmly, looking at me hard, "You've seen enough, know enough, to be invaluable to any tribute who volunteers. Have some faith in yourself."

"But-" I whispered, sinking back into my bed, "But… I'm so alone in this Haley. How will I manage?"

"I'll be there with you silly!" she exclaimed, putting her arms around me, "We're in this together Sage. You always have me."

I hugged her back, burying my face in her shoulders as tears started trickling down my eyes. She and Cress had certainly done all they could to bring me back, and I was glad that I would at least have my friend with me on this horrible journey.

"Thanks Haley, means a lot."

She stroked my cheek soothingly, before wiping away my tears. Smiling, she patted my back, before standing up.

"Come on Sage, I'll cook something delicious for you today."

 **Hello my friends, and welcome to the sequel of Dawn of Light! It's really good to have you all here! I hope you all consider participating, and if things aren't very clear, I suggest reading the last four chapters of Dawn of Light to understand what's going on. The details will be on my profile, and I request you to please adhere to the rules and guidelines.**

 **Have a great day!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Nikona Linwood (17) 72** **nd** **Games Escapee**

It had been three months since we had been trapped in this underground bunker.

The bunker was a few rooms combined, with quite a lot of comforts, but suffocating nonetheless. I had no idea whether we were close to the Capitol, or the rumoured District Thirteen, or some other district. I didn't even have a sense of time, but we had been provided with a simple calendar, and I struck off the dates as they went by. I realised it was that time of the year again; the Reapings were in a week. And yet, we had no news of what was happening.

Ryder, Roslin and Raylic shared the room with me. Ryder and I shared a twin bed, and since Roslin and Raylic were conjoined, they took the other. Roslin was pretty adamant about keeping the TV remote to himself, which Ryder didn't like, and Raylic and I were left wondering what was happening. We were given food four times a day, better than we ever did back in the districts, and we were also given a TV, lots of movie CDs, and even a video game console, something I didn't even know existed. Anya had said only the elite had it even in the Capitol.

However, the person who delivered our food never talked, and the rebels rarely ever visited. Anya did drop in a couple of times in three months, but I wished she hadn't. She looked much more hopeless than I ever felt in my life, and that was a big thing, since I had started anticipating my death from my childhood. She had lost the charm of the actress she was, dark circles under her beautiful eyes, and an irritable temper accompanying it all along. The only person who would be happy about her visits was Raylic, and we all knew he liked her.

And now, as we sat on the comfortable sofa, Ryder placed his head on my shoulder, staring at the blank television.

"Do you want to watch something?" I asked him nonchalantly.

"We've watched all of them fifty times."

"We can do a fifty-first."

"And watch Raylic go gaga over Anya? No thanks."

I sighed. Anya's movies were the best of the lot, but Raylic always watched them as if he'd found some ancient treasure. His expressions made it hard to watch her movies.

"Goodness, I just wish they let us out. I'm tired of this."

He looked up at me, putting his arm around my shoulders, and said, "It could be much worse. You know that."

"Why don't the ever drop in? Shouldn't we be knowing what's going on? The news says nothing, and I want to know whether Julius is alright!"

"He'll be alright-"

"He saved our lives, Ryder."

He went silent at that and looked back at the TV. Julius Adrian, whom I later discovered to be Alan Aquila, was my mentor for my Games, despite being a Games Trainer. It was later that I found out that he was a rebel, and originally from Five. It didn't matter though, he got Ryder and out of the arena. And then he went missing. Anya, in her visits, never clarified whether he and Cress and other rebels got away from Snow or not, and the lack of information was probably the reason she didn't return. The four of us had ganged up on her and yelled some real obscenities at her and told her how useless she was, and she stomped away angrily.

That was the last we saw her.

"I'm worried too, Nik," he sighed, walking over to the bedside table and pouring himself a glass of water, "But you should understand that we're being kept here for our own good."

"It won't harm us if they let us know a few things."

"Hey, why don't we watch the news? There's that secret channel that accessible to us, where we get those updates from District Eleven."

"And become even more upset?"

"Oh come on Nik! The world is upsetting."

And with those wise words, he flicked on the TV, and despite myself I started watching it with him, even as Roslin and Raylic returned from the bathroom.

"What you watching?" Roslin asked, taking a bite from a biscuit.

"News."

There was a reporter who'd come on the news every day at sporadic times. Usually though, she'd appear at around noon, or rather, her voice appeared at noon. Nobody had seen her, for she filmed videos and never appeared in them, but her voice suggested she was young. Shetalked in a fake deep voice. I guessed she was eleven or twelve. But she had to be the biggest rebel in District Eleven.

The news, which usually aired videos from the secret rebel Internet network, was about an execution. A woman, thin as a twig, was being dragged by her hair to the Square. She cried out, pleading with the Peacekeepers, but they showed no mercy.

"All because she stole three apples from an orchard meant for its owner," the young reporter whispered, making sure that she wasn't overheard, "The punishment here is death, and the government cherishes it."

The woman was tied to a poll, and was being whipped. One of the Peacekeepers pulled back her hair, and started shaving her head.

"They don't just kill you," the voice continued, "They rob you of your dignity. They're going to whip her to death, and that is the punishment they've decided on."

Her skin had started opening up, as her bald head glistened in the sunlight. The blood started seeping through her wounds as she was whipped relentlessly, her cries being muffled by fresh cries. All four of us had our gazes fixed on the TV, our hearts racing, bile threatening to shoot out of our mouths, and yet unable to avert our eyes.

And suddenly, somebody pulled out the TV plug, and I looked up at Anya Ford, glaring at us from beside the TV.

 **Anya Ford (19) Rebel and Victor of 71** **st** **Games**

It had been a long time since I'd visited our rescued tributes. Our last meeting hadn't gone very well and I didn't wish to recall that.

But they were right. They deserved news, and I was only holding information back because Chip didn't think it would be okay to let them know. But as he had given his approval for it, I had to let them know.

Chip had grown… distant from me. I missed how he used to fool people into buying useless stuff back in Six, and while he still did so, he didn't include me in his scams. The only time we partnered these days was when I had a show in the Capitol, and he would sell tickets in black, minting money out of those darned Capitolites. We still shared the money in half, but this couldn't really replace the regular fool-making of already foolish people. he had reduced interactions with me considerably ever since he had to make that damned decision for Ruby. Sure, Ruby, our rebel engineer and scientist, survived, but her baby had died, and the flak that Chip received from everyone was uncalled for. I had a major row with Sasha and Ruby over it, and we weren't really on speaking terms anymore due to my harsh words.

But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that I was in that cave, deep under the Capitol itself, where our old rebel leader Samara had died, and where our computers and servers were located. We worked here with all our technology because Snow's people never came here; it was too unlucky for them, unlucky to the point they thought it was haunted. It suited us, so we kind of encouraged that fear.

I entered the dimly lit passage, walking as my shoes clicked on the polished floor. A steel door stared at me and I touched it gently with my left finger, tracing it on the door. It slid soundlessly, and noise from the TV inside reached me. I entered the bunker, the door closing behind me, and saw the four boys staring at the TV screen in repulsion, but unable to look away anyway. They hadn't even noticed that I was here.

"They don't just kill you," the voice from the TV said, "They rob you of your dignity. They're going to whip her to death, and that is the punishment they've decided on."

Painful cries filled the room, and I looked sideways at the TV. A woman, her hair having been shaved, was being whipped mercilessly. Her body was opening up as she screamed, and I saw tears in Raylic's eyes. I grabbed the plug of the TV and pulled it, disconnecting it.

They looked up at me with wild eyes, surprised at my presence. Roslin again had a sour expression on his face, and it took all my willpower to not roll my eyes at him. His twin though, smiled, and against Roslin's wishes, they were running towards me, and had their arms around me. And as much as I disliked Roslin, I hugged them back, because I couldn't embrace Raylic without doing so for his twin too.

"Hey guys," I said brightly, trying not to let the images of our last meeting cloud my mind, "Been a long time, eh?"

"I thought we'd never hear from you," Nikona said.

"Hey Anya, we're sorry about last time," his friend said, looking pointedly at Nikona.

"Oh yeah, yeah we're sorry."

"I'm sorry too," I replied, before sitting down on the sofa between the two friends, putting my arms around their shoulders, "I had orders to not say anything. That has changed though."

"So you're actually going to tell us something?" Nikona asked hopefully.

I nodded before continuing, "Yes."

"How's Alan?" Nikona asked quickly.

"Alive," I replied, "Our allies were rescued when you all were brought here. They're hiding, and the Capitol is suspecting all the victors, except Charles."

"Wait, what?" Roslin and Raylic asked together, looking equally confused.

"Yeah. We're monitored all the time. However, since Chip is _always_ playing a psychopath, they don't doubt him. They steer clear."

"I'm sure even the Capitol fears him."

"He _can_ be scary," I admitted, "He put the entire training centre on fire during his private sessions and got away with that. That is scary."

"How did you manage to come here?" Ryder asked.

"I've a show here tomorrow," I replied, "So I just got away for a while. I'll have to hurry back though."

"Where are they?" Nikona asked nervously.

"I can't tell you that. But they're hiding, and not too far from the Capitol. Cress and Alan though, are in Thirteen, for that's where they're safe."

"Damn…"

"And Regal…" I said softly, "Regal is missing. he is our leader, and almost one-third of the Capitol supports us because of him, because of how he influenced them and changed their way of thinking. So obviously, he's the most valuable. And he traded himself for the rebels-"

"What?!"

"-and Nerissa Verity, obviously, didn't keep her promise, so we had to rescue our allies. Regal was only buying time though, for us to make our move, and that's why he distracted both Nerissa and Snow."

"Where's he now?"

"He escaped," I replied, still unable to comprehend how he did that, "And we have no contact with him."

"That's crazy…"

"It is."

"But how do you know that so many Capitolites are on our side?"

I grinned at Ryder. He always asked sensible questions.

"Insider info, bro. Plus, the TRPs for the Games are falling like anything."

"You mean to say," Roslin said, trying to keep his voice level, "That in our Games, while we were fighting for our lives, people weren't even _interested_ to watch us?"

"Um, yes."

"That's pathetic!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

"So most of the Capitolites didn't even see Sage's amazing story with Kitty? Or our friendship? Or… anything?" Ryder asked, bewildered.

"Um, no."

"*** this!" he and Nikona cried out.

I frowned.

"You people talk as if you _enjoy_ the Games."

"We _don't,_ " Raylic said, and I was surprised to see him say something so strongly, "But we literally had our lives on stake! So many people died! All this for entertainment, _and people weren't even watching!_ "

I laughed out at their expressions. They did have a point. But maybe they didn't get me.

"I said TRPs are falling, I didn't say nobody's watching. Anyway, I'll leave now. Bye!"

"Bye Anya, and thanks!" Nik and Ryder said together as I stood up. I hugged Raylic and Roslin and took my leave, the door sliding shut behind me.

 **So here is another update. I hope that, through this chapter, I was able to convey the gist of the story to you all. I'll have a few more prologues till the submissions roll in. feel free to submit to any spot that isn't closed. And, I really want to say that I'm overwhelmed by the response! Thank you all!**

 **What do you think of this chapter? And of the characters whom we met here? Also, if anyone's confused about Roslin and Raylic, they're conjoined at the neck. Also, this chapter actually had one of our accepted tributes. XD**

 **Also, do check out Paradigm of Writing's story Sheep led to Slaughter and Santiago . Poncini20's Let's Kill Tonight!**

 **A very happy new year to you and may you have a great year ahead!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sasha Flame (22) Victor of 68** **th** **Games, Rebel**

I didn't want to be here.

Sitting in the luxurious room of Hotel Trident, in the heart of the Capitol, the very situation made me nauseous. I didn't like the Capitol. I didn't just mean it in the sense that they were cruel to us and all that, I really did not like the Capitol for its environment. The inhumanly clean city, with people having unnatural hair and eyes and skin, talking in that foolish sounding high pitched accent, walking in clothes that looked as if they were either made of fruit skins or plastic bags, and their over-sophisticated demeanour hurt my senses beyond belief. Ruby often liked to come here, and I could never understand why. Maybe it reminded her of District One, where she couldn't go anymore as she had to change her identity to Micky from District Five. Maybe she just liked the pretentious environment of this place. Whatever the reason, she always tagged along, and this time was no different.

I had not been on speaking terms with my wife since three months but that didn't stop her from coming. On top of that, we had to attend Anya's show, something I wasn't looking forward to at all. The echoes of our last fight still rang in my ears, and I remembered that I had almost slapped her… it was against my principle to even think of slapping a girl. Facing her today was going to be tough.

"Are you ready?" Ruby asked as she emerged from the bedroom of our suite, dressed in a beautiful long red gown, her blond hair flowing down her back. To my surprise she was wearing makeup; she never did that, and looked extremely uncomfortable in it.

"Yeah," I said slowly, "You're looking lovely, by the way."

Completing ignoring my compliment, my wife questioned, "You'll step out of here like that?"

I scoffed as I turned towards the mirror in the room, just to see a man with a lot of stubble, messy hair and a green wrinkled shirt in there.

"What's wrong with this?" I asked, running my hand through my hair. I knew what was wrong with it, but I was so excited that she was talking to me after so long that I wanted her to say it.

"Everything's wrong with this," she said, throwing a black suit at me, "Better wear this. I don't want to be seen with a pauper."

"I'm no pauper!" I exclaimed indignantly, turning to face her, "I'm not!"

"And please do go and shave. You look unhygienic."

With that, she sat down on the sofa and started flipping through a fashion magazine, another thing that she had never done in her life. But I didn't mind, I was happy. I had _missed_ her insults so dearly! My heart wanted to dance to the tune of joy, but I knew that would only irritate her more. And so, I retreated into the bathroom to shave, because I had to look presentable in the Victors' party we were headed to.

I knew Ruby would have loved to go there as herself, as a victor, but she couldn't and that must make her bitter. She was thought to be dead by the Capitol, and sadly was going there as my wife. Still, I hoped she would like being there, among the other victors of the Career Districts, where she could feel like herself again.

I just wanted the old her to return to me, that was all.

 **Ruby Platinum Flame/ Micky Flame (24) Victor of 66** **th** **Games, Rebel Engineer**

The hall scored full marks in grandeur, that was sure.

The chandeliers especially mesmerised me, for they weren't the electrical ones. They were small candles, burning steadily and slowly, and looking at them I knew they wouldn't go out for hours. The air was pleasantly cool, and my eyes caught the alcohol counter immediately. I sensed Sasha fidget beside me, and unwillingly I had to touch his wrist to refrain from going there.

I hated my husband but why should anyone else know that? I also hated the fact that I was here as his wife, and not a victor, but what could be done? I had to play the role of a loving wife in public, or this idiot would go and get both of us killed someday.

"Sasha! Micky!"

I turned to my right and saw Haley walking towards us, a beautiful smile on her face. She looked stunning in her blue flowing gown and her hair done in a bun. I smiled despite myself, and hugged her when she reached us.

"Haley!" I greeted, "You're looking gorgeous!"

"Not as much as you!" she grinned and then winked, "Your man is looking gorgeous too."

Sasha, being the idiot that he was, blushed a shade deeper than my gown, and started stuttering.

"Th-thank y-you Haley. You l-l-look lovely t-too."

The man could never take a conversation with a woman properly, without stuttering. However, he had stopped doing that near Haley a long time ago. It dawned on me that Sasha was playing his public image, just so the Capitol wouldn't suspect that he knew Haley very well.

Okay, so sometimes he wasn't an idiot after all.

"Where are the others?" I asked in my fake girlish voice.

"Sage is chilling with Anya. Charles… I'd rather not know where he is or what he's doing."

I felt Sasha clench his fists tightly. Three months ago, there had been some complications in the birth of our child; either it could be born or I could live. That was the same time when our rebels had been taken, and I was alone in the hospital. Sasha was doing his duty for the rebels… and Charles, the little psychopath, had bene the only one there for me. He was the one to decide our fate. And he chose me, not the child.

At that time I hated him for that. The child's life was important than mine! I couldn't believe that after nine months I lost my child, because of someone who was not even a part of the family. I had been hating Sasha since then for not being with me. But Charles… I had forgiven him. I understood his reasoning; it was important to save someone who was already alive than someone who was going to be. Sasha never forgave him for taking matters into his own hand, but that was pure hypocrisy on his part, nothing else.

Haley seemed to have sensed our tension, because she quickly changed the subject…

"The Reapings are next week."

… to an even worse topic.

But at least it diverted my husband from his anger. It was instantly replaced by sadness, and I knew his eyes were about to become bleak. Before he could start crying, I handed him a handkerchief, and he promptly broke into tears. For someone who killed six tributes in his Games, killed all my men single-handed when I worked for Snow, and killed a dozen Peacekeepers when we stormed the Capitol three months back to rescue our allies, he surely used his tear glands more than what was required. I could never understand him properly; he went from ruthless to a cry-baby to again ruthless.

"Hey, hey! Sushh!" Haley said comfortingly, patting his back, and being his wife, I too tried to comfort him, but couldn't help the tone from getting dry.

"I don't want to-"

"You'll _have to_ mentor, Sasha," I said, cutting him off, "Plus, it's an honour for a victor, right?"

That last part was only said so that the eavesdropping Capitolites could understand how much we _loved_ the Games.

"Y-yeah," he replied, quickly picking the hint, "I j-just want to bring a victor home this time."

"We all do," Haley added, playing her Career mentor role, "After all, our tributes represent our Districts in the biggest competition of the country! Who'd like to miss on such kind of honour?"

"Nobody!" I exclaimed in the same fake voice I had been talking in.

"Yeah, everyone wants those bragging rights."

By this time, my husband had calmed down considerably, and I excused myself from him and Haley. There was somebody I wanted to talk to right now, and apologise for my harsh words all those months ago.

 **Charles "Chip" Chevrolet (19) Victor of 70** **th** **Games, Rebel**

This year again, I was stuck with District Eight.

Frankly speaking, I didn't like that place. It was hard to fool people into buying useless stuff there, for everyone seemed to be clinging to their money. Sure, I still managed to do business there in the short week that I was there last year, but it wasn't like my home, District Six. I wasn't looking forward to visit Eight.

And right now, here I was in this victors' pre-Games party, the only one wearing pyjamas, because nobody had the guts to laugh at me. I was the Golden Psycho Boy of the Capitol, the boy who loved candies and could kill just about anyone because he loved 'playing games'. People bought into my image because of my actions in my Games. He acid that Victoria, my last opponent in the Games, had thrown on me still had its mark on my chest, and that kind of added to my image. Right now, I was sulking in the shadows, watching other victors meeting each other and some stupid Capitolites that were there. I saw Anya and Sage talking over drinks in a corner. The girl had a show after the party got over, and she had told me that the act was going to be very romantic. I told her I wanted to puke and she laughed it off as usual. I hated how those bloody Capitolites looked at her though, especially when she danced. Usually, emotions were something I didn't experience much of, but this was something that I always felt.

I saw Sasha and Ruby talking to Haley. I wondered what they would say if they saw me or what I would do if I had to face them. It would get ugly, and for the sake of the mission I couldn't let that happen. It was better I stayed here.

I wished Cress hadn't been caught. He was on the run now, but if these idiots didn't know he was a rebel, he could have been here. Cress was a fun guy and didn't take anything to heart.

It was then I noticed Ruby walking towards me, her face devoid of expression, and I wondered if I should walk away. I didn't want a confrontation, not right now, but Chip avoiding people who approached him was not normal, and since I was him, I had to stay where I was.

"Micky Nicky Ricky!" I exclaimed as she neared me, my face breaking into the widest grin possible.

To my surprise, she smiled too, and soon we were both in the shadows. I studied her, wondering why she was here, and if she would say something. I was taken aback when she wrapped her arms around me, taking me in a hug.

I'd never been hugged before.

I didn't know what to do. Should I resist? Should I hug her back? Should I gently release myself? For the first time in my life, I was at a loss and did not know what to do.

"I'm sorry Chip," she whispered in my ear, "I'm sorry for all the horrible things I said to you. I'm sorry for misunderstanding you. Thank you so much for being such a good friend."

"Uh… no problem?" it was all I could come up with.

She released me and then smiled again. Sighing, I smiled back too, hoping it looked genuine.

"You look cute when you smile," she whispered.

"You too," I whispered back, reaching for her hand and squeezing it, and as expected, she didn't pull it away.

"Now, WHERE'S MY CANDY?!" I cried out in the shrillest voice I could produce, jumping on my feet as she stepped back, barely able to stifle her laugh.

I sat down on the floor and started throwing my arms around, banging my legs on the floor, crying out loud.

"I WANT CANDYYYYYY! PINK YELLOW AND GREEN CANDY!"

"I'll- I'll get you some!"

"I want it NOW!"

"Here!"

Again, as expected, Anya was there beside me, pulling me to her chest, ruffling my hair, and stuffing a candy in my mouth.

"Calm down Chippy-Chip!" she said loudly, for the sake of the onlooking Capitolites, "Come with me and I'll get you a lot of candies!"

" _REALLY?!"_

"Yeah!"

"Let's GO!"

Nobody would question Anya taking me out of that wretched hall. Everyone in Panem entertained the idea that we both secretly 'loved' each other, and it was natural for her to care for me. Fools.

Taking one glance at Ruby, who exchanged a smile with my friend in maybe months, I jogged out of there, laughing hysterically. Now, being in the Capitol was _fun_.

 **Hey guys, prologue number three here! I hope you liked this chapter as we see more of these characters. The tone was slightly lighter than the previous one, because I just wanted to show that the Capitol has a victors' party before the Reapings. Please let me know your thoughts on this because I really love all these characters a lot.**

 **Now, coming to the most important part, thank you so much for the submissions! I had a lot of them, and it was really difficult to choose. I'm really sorry to those who couldn't make it in, but as I said, there were just a lot of them. I had at least three submissions for all the spots and only twenty-four could get in. And congratulations to those whose characters have been accepted! I'm looking forwards to write them all. You've done an amazing job guys!**

 **I'm not putting up a list. Instead, check the characters on the blog, which is mirageoflies . weebly ****.** **com**

 **In case the blog address is not visible, it's also on my profile.**

 **It will be really great if you guys can drop a blog review, or at least which tributes and characters you like the most and least, because it takes hours of work to make it, even if it is poorly made. To those who are new to my universe, I'd suggest you take a look at the supporting characters section in order to familiarise yourself with them.**

 **Again, thank you so much for your support and submission!**

 **Have a great day!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Introductions**

 **District One**

 **Eritine Hadron (18) D1F**

The training centre was unusually quiet, it seemed that most people had left for home to have lunch. It usually didn't happen, for the canteen here provided the most hygienic and nutritious food that the volunteers-to-be required, and all trainees and trainers had lunch here together. Right now though, there were only five trainees there, and I saw her sitting alone in the far right corner, eating her salad.

I smirked. This should be easy.

I went to the counter to get my lunch and smiled at Hans, who asked me what would I like for lunch today.

"Salad, please."

"Just salad?" he asked in surprise, "That won't be enough."

"That will be enough," I replied with a smile, "I'm not too hungry."

"Oh, alright," he smiled kindly, before handing me my plate.

Thanking him, I slowly started making my way towards Sparcle Luvring, the girl sitting alone in the corner, the girl with the most idiotic name I'd ever heard, the girl who was so engrossed in her temporary glory that she couldn't even imagine what was about to happen.

The girl who had snatched my chance.

Sweeping my long braid to rest on and dangle from my left shoulder, I put on the brightest smile that I could manage and sat down across Sparcle, who obviously noticed my presence but chose to ignore it.

Stupid woman.

"Hi Sparcle, I heard you've been chosen as our volunteer! Congratulations!"

With that, I brought forward my hand, knowing very well she wouldn't take it. that was exactly what she did.

"Honestly Eritine," she said, her brown eyes boring into my bright blue ones, "I don't even get why people like you bother to come to the academy anymore. Your last chance is gone, why waste all that time and energy?"

"Well, chances can be grabbed again, right?"

"Wrong," she said, finally looking at me full in the face, "You're eighteen, your chances are gone. Stop wasting your time."

I laughed out heartily, leaning back in my chair. To spectators it might appear that some kind of fun talk was going on. That would be correct, of course.

"But you're seventeen!" I exclaimed, "You still have a chance next year."

She stared at me for a second, before laughing out loud too, to the point that her eyes started producing tears. I patiently waited for her to finish laughing, because there was so much more in store.

"Are you trying to convince me into letting you take my place, Eritine?"

"Not at all," I replied calmly, the smirk returning to my face slowly, "I'm warning you that you should step down."

"Really? You're 'warning' me? And why so?"

"Because you're a rule offender, Sparcle."

"What do you mean?"

I chuckled softly, the worry in her eyes making my heart race for what was to come. I was _loving_ toying with her.

"You have an affair with Pierce Aroma, don't you?"

I had to stifle my laugh as her face rapidly changed colour. She turned pale, and then green, as if about to be sick. She dropped her spoon with a soft _thud_ , eyes unable to leave mine for even a second. I leaned forward in my seat, resting my chin in my hands, looking at her. She visibly gulped.

"Wh-what do you m-mean?" she asked, trying to keep her voice composed, and failing pathetically at it.

"You know what I mean," I purred, "I saw you and that Peacekeeper doing… things. I took a picture too, just in case."

"Y-you c-can't-"

"I can and I did. You do know what can happen if these get leaked, right?"

It was a criminal offence to be in a relationship with a Peacekeeper younger than thirty-five years of age, and guaranteed a long time in prison. However, a relationship of an underaged person with a Peacekeeper meant eligibility for execution of both the parties. Both of us knew that.

"Please," she whispered, and I watched in calm satisfaction, "Please don't tell anyone. I love him."

"I know," I replied, trying to make my voice sound as kind as I could, "And that's why I've come up with the solution. Let me volunteer this year, and I'll destroy all the proof after the Reapings, in the Justice Building. You are seventeen, you can volunteer next year too. For me, this is the last chance."

She knew I had her. She knew I had manipulated this whole situation. She knew I was blackmailing her.

But she could do nothing.

Her helplessness gave me pleasure, and I allowed myself to smile when she nodded.

"I get it. I won't volunteer this year."

"Thank you so much," I replied softly, "And I hope we can keep that news between us?"

"Of-of course," she answered, "I won't tell anyone."

"Good," I smiled brightly, as she stood up. Grabbing her plate with the half-eaten salad, she went and deposited it at the soiled plates counter, and walked out silently, glancing at me once, and I smiled at her. The hatred in her eyes… I relished that.

"Well," I muttered to myself, looking down at my plate, "It seems I'm hungry after all."

 **Welton Luxor (18) D1M**

 _My pale skin had turned red at every part of my body that he hit. The man had a belt in his hand, and it came crashing down again, a chilling scream escaping my lips. He didn't stop though, he never did._

 _The man, my father was drunk. My mother, a bloody ***, watched on, waiting for my father to get done so that she could ask us for money. Money, that was all she cared about. Not her son, not her family. But money._

 _She coughed, the bloody woman, a little too loudly for my father's taste, and he rounded up towards her._

" _Silent!" he cried out._

 _Taking advantage of his distracted mind, my fourteen-year-old self hastily got to his feet, and pushed him hard, before running out of the room. I heard loud profanities, followed by deafening footsteps, and I quickened my pace, running out of the house. Training at the academy had certainly increased my stamina, and I continued to run and run and run, without stopping, panting hard as my lungs threatened to break through my ribcage. It was then I saw his house, Alvar's house._

 _Alvar was my trainer at the academy, a person who always looked after me, a person who believed in me. He gave me the love that my real parents could never give, and cared in ways that would put them to shame. He was my only hope right now, at least till my father calmed down. At least till he would become sober._

 _I beat my fists on his door in desperation, afraid my father might have followed me here. The door opened, and my trainer looked at me in surprise, his eyes studying the bruises on my arms._

" _Welton-"_

" _Sir, if it's not a problem, can I stay here for a while?"_

 _He nodded gravely, pulling me inside gently._

" _Sure."_

That 'while' lasted forever. I never returned home, and Alvar adopted me. It was a little messy but my parents wanted nothing to do with me, and soon we were family.

In a few days, I was about to volunteer for the Games. No, unlike what the Outers thought of our district, I wasn't a sadistic killer. I just wanted to pay Alvar back for everything he did for me, the time, effort and love that he had invested. Killing was something that just had to be done. I loved him dearly, and this was indeed a small way to pay him back.

I was waiting at the dining table for him. We took turns at cooking, and today it had been me. I didn't feel like doing much though, so it was just some mashed potatoes and soup and bread. The door of the kitchen opened and in he entered, my adoptive father, a smile on his face.

"Ah, this looks delicious! Thanks Welton!"

I knew he was saying this only to make me feel happy, but I nodded nonetheless. He was always aiming for my happiness in the littlest of things. It mattered a lot.

"I think I put in a little more salt in the soup."

"Well, it gives it some good taste."

As he sat down, he looked at me across the table, his eyes shining warmly.

"So Welton, I saw you training at the academy today."

I looked on.

"My suggestion would be to stop training so hard now, and only focus on some light exercise to stay in shape."

"But why?" I asked, "The Reapings are just around the corner."

"That's exactly why you should stop training so hard," he answered, "I don't want you pulling a muscle or something. A little bit of exercise should be good enough."

"I'll do that."

He sighed.

"What's the matter?"

"It's Sparcle," he said finally, looking down at his empty plate, "She was acting a little weird today."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. She seemed lost, uncertain. She couldn't even train properly, as if her mind was somewhere else."

"That's bad."

"Yeah. I hope it is just a one-time thing."

"Me too."

My future District Partner was acting weird? But why? I shook my head; that was not something for me to think about. I had to look out for myself, and it didn't matter what was wrong with her. She'd come to her senses eventually, and even if she didn't, there was nothing to worry about. I was going to the Games to win, not to fuss over my District Partner.

"Let her be. Welton, the soup is really delicious!"

"Why, thank you."

And it really seemed that he liked it. Usually I didn't express any feelings, but I allowed myself to smile lightly.

I was glad he liked it.

* * *

 **District Three**

 **Bina Bishop (15) D3F**

School had been long today.

I was happy when it ended and left as quickly as I could. It wasn't that I hated school, it was just that the subjects they taught weren't useful for everyone. There were some things that could only be learnt by being outside in the world on your own, by observing people and situations. Schools just didn't provide that kind of an environment, and my school was especially all about textbooks.

Da'at, my brother, thankfully agreed with me. In this District that valued nothing more than bookish knowledge, it was nice to have someone who agreed with my idea of knowledge.

Right now we were sitting in a park, or what could have been a park. It was honestly just a cemented structure, with a few trees and grass planted here and there, making them look so out of place that one could feel sorry for them. There were benches and a nice food stall that was so expensive that most of us couldn't afford to eat there. It was for the upper classes though, so I had no complains. It was interesting how an Outer District like Three could discriminate so well based on financial classes, but I had seen so much of it that it did not bother me anymore.

"Our class has an industrial visit to a camera producing factory after the Reapings," Da'at said, as he munched on his home-cooked sandwich.

"That's interesting," I said in surprise. It really was. For the students who were interested in manufacturing such things, this was a treat. They could see the practical side of knowledge. I wished my own class had such an industrial visit sometime soon though. It kind of became boring reading from the textbook all the time.

"It is," he said, sounding equally surprised, "I don't think our school has ever had an industrial visit."

"Not in all the while I've been here."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Before I could respond to that, I noticed that a lot of people were staring at me as they passed by. I was used to it by now, but it was still distracting when I was trying to have a conversation. This was another thing I had learnt. People just couldn't stop being obvious with their curiosities and wonder.

"Ignore them," Da'at said.

"It's fine," I smiled at him.

It really was. I was an albino, and had no colour in my body at all. My eyes were slightly cross-eyed too, and I didn't have too much money to get those glasses as for my problems (I also had blurry vision), the glasses were expensive. I could understand why people stared, but I wished they weren't so blatant about it.

Nothing could be done about that.

"Oh!"

I looked up to see a woman having dropped all her things she was carrying on the floor. She was obviously rich, as the bags revealed that she had been shopping for clothes, and lots of them too. As she tried to lift them, she dropped the bags she was already holding. There were just too many of them.

"Excuse me?" she asked, looking at us with distress, "Can you please help me?"

"Oh, sure," I said, and the two of us jogged over to her, thinking why she was in the park with so many bags in the first place.

"Thank you," she said as we picked up the bags, "Thank you so much!"

"No problem," Da'at said as we started walking towards the gate.

"If you don't mind me asking," I said, the presence of this woman with shopping bags in the middle of a cement park having still made me a little sceptical, "Why are you here with all this stuff? You can be robbed, you know?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "There's a fair here later today! I'm going to sell all these clothes."

"A fair?" Da'at asked, "We didn't even know!"

"Yeah, well, I think some Capitol people are coming here and our mayor has organised a fair in this very park for them this evening. I have to put up a stall."

She pointed at one of the benches under a tree, and we changed our course. I was surprised at this new information. I had never seen a fair in this District, ever. I wondered what all was going to happen here, but I knew I couldn't miss this.

After all, this was a very new and unknown experience.

"Can we come too?" I asked, gaining a look from Da'at that clearly said that we had no money for fair. I shook my head. There was no need to buy anything, we could just observe.

"Of course, you can!" the woman exclaimed as we set down the bags on the bench, "It starts at 6 in the evening. Be sure to visit my stall!"

"We'll try," I replied and she thanked us.

"My husband must be coming with everything to set up a stall, and a few more clothes. Can you please help us out?"

I looked on for a few seconds, trying to remember if there was anything for me to do today. There was none, so I nodded. I really wanted to know what this fair was going to be like.

"Sure, we'll help out."

 **Ridge Aqram (18) D3M**

Okay, so the stage was set.

I was in my flashiest clothes.

The mic was ready.

The lights were proper.

And I was staring at a mass of humans, both from the District and the Capitol. I beamed at my audience.

"It's a pleasure to have you all here," I said in my deep, assuring voice.

"Ridge! Ridge! RIDGE!"

The chanting was growing louder with each passing second, just like my smile. Bringing the mic to my lips, I started.

" _Your eyes, when I first saw them, I saw the seas_

" _Sparkling in the moonlight_

" _When I first saw them I could hear my heart's pleas_

" _On it only you have the right._

" _Your eyes, when I looked in them I saw rosy gardens_

" _Where my heart took a tour_

" _When I look in your eyes my breath hardens_

" _And my heart tells yours_

" _That your eyes, when I gazed in them, had me enamoured_

" _With its lovely, lovely magic_

" _And my heart, they captured_

" _And there was nothing left to be tragic._

" _Your eyes, when I peep in them_

" _I see my future_

" _And my heart tells yours that in them_

" _My love shall be nurtured."_

The audience broke into an applause as I finished the song, and I took bow. This was my favourite song that I had ever written, and looking at all these people reacting to it with so much glee made my heart swell in pride. And I got to open this funfair too! It was honestly a matter of great honour, and I was glad that my talent was being recognised now, slowly but steadily. Being invited by the mayor to sing in front of so many people was certainly a big thing.

That had been a while back, and right now I was chilling with my friend Gega, a glass of orange juice in each of our hands.

"You were brilliant out there!" she exclaimed, downing her glass in one go.

"Easy there," I laughed as I sipped mine more slowly, "And thanks, I didn't think it would go so well."

"But it did! How do you manage to remain so confident all the time?"

"I actually don't know," I smiled, but it was the truth. I was usually not someone who got nervous by any means, especially in front of public. I felt at home in front of an audience, and the larger it was, the more confident I felt.

"You just don't want to share your secrets!"

I chuckled at that, pinching her cheek lightly just to annoy her, and laughed when she chided me. Gega and I had always been this close for as long as I could remember. She was a very shy girl in contrast to my outgoing nature, but she was wild once she got comfortable with someone. And we understood each other, which was the most important thing in friendship. Plus, she also sometimes did my homework, which was again a really good thing.

"Come on Gega, let's buy some clothes."

"I don't have that kind of money," she laughed.

"But I do," I grinned, "Come on! A new dress would be a great thing tonight."

With that, I set my glass on the counter and grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet. I held out my arm for her to link hers in, and she laughed out as she did so. The two of us started towards the nearest clothes stall, hand-in-hand, and it was amazing how she played along despite being so shy.

"Hello!" I said to the stall owner, a woman in her middle ages, "You've set up a lovely stall."

"Thank you!" she said, beaming, "What would you like to see?"

"A beautiful dress for my beautiful friend here."

She grinned at me in a knowing way, and then proceeded to show Gega some of the loveliest dresses that we'd ever seen, gowns that flowed like rivers, dresses that sparkled just right in the light. As she went on checking them out, I found myself looking at a girl nearby. She was completely white, as in like milk, her hair being of similar shade. Her eyes were slightly cross-eyed, and I couldn't look away, even though my brain was screaming at me that staring was rude. She was looking back at me, and it took all my willpower to look away.

She was just so pretty.

Sure, she did seem to have some health condition, but that didn't stop her from looking gorgeous. The only thing that made me sad was that she might get a lot of stares daily, and I wondered how she coped with them.

Against my better judgement, I looked at her again through the corner of my eye, and saw that she was still looking at me, as if she knew I was looking at her. I sighed, this was getting awkward. I walked towards her with a smile.

"I'm sorry for-"

"It's alright," she said kindly, "A lot of people stare. I think you're the first one to apologise, so that means a lot."

"Still, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stared like that. It's just that you're so pretty!"

"Why, thank you," she said, and I sighed internally. I had thought she would be angry.

"You sing really well too," she said, with a smile, "I really enjoyed your performance."

"Thanks!" I beamed at her and then brought my hand forward, "Ridge, Ridge Aqram."

She took it and shook it confidently.

"Bina Bishop."

"Lovely name."

Before she could say anything to that, Gega called out to me.

"Ridge! I think I like this one!"

"Coming!" I called out her, and then turned to Bina, "I'll have to go. See you!"

"Bye."

And with that, I went over to my friend, unable to forget the pretty girl I had just met.

 **Hi guys! So this came out a little quick… don't expect such speed all the time XD This chapter might have come out quicker, because I had written D1 before posting the last chapter, but then i had to write that song which took a lot of time... even though it was horrible. XP Anyway, do let me know what you think of the four tributes that featured in this chapter. I really enjoyed writing all of them, for they are such good characters! Also, Ridge's section might appear to be longer because of more dialogues.**

 **Also, I just want to say that in case you've resubmitted a character, please let me know. If their original story has been discontinued, deleted or hasn't been updated in six months, or if your tribute wasn't accepted in their story, I'm okay with the resubmissions. Just drop in a PM if this applies to you.**

 **Have a great day!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Introductions**

 **District Six**

 **Corinne Morwenna Salazar (12) D6F**

This train was where my parents met, this was where they got married, this was where Aris, Duncan and I were born, and this was where my parents had left us too. My whole life was based on this train, this train that had seen every nook and cranny of Panem. I just wished my mother hadn't left us here, it would have been nice then.

She left when I was six, and I had hoped to find her sometime. And I did find her… only to find out that she had a new family, a family that gave her more happiness than I ever did. I sighed. This wasn't time to think about her, it was time to get ready for work.

"Corinne!"

I looked up from my bed of sorts at my elder brothers, both of them smiling up at me.

"Good morning," I greeted with a smile, "Duncan, what's for breakfast today?"

"The first thing you say on a new day is about food," he muttered, "I think I'll get you scrambled eggs."

"Oh, well."

Aris grinned at me before ruffing my already messy blond hair. I pouted, which gained a laugh from him.

"Duncan is planning to make waffles," he said, "He was messing with you."

"Does Uncle Horace know about that?" I asked.

"Yes," Duncan replied after a pause, "Of course he'd know."

Uncle Horace was the head chef on our train, and was currently training Duncan to become one too. My brother had learnt a lot from him, and could cook the most boring things really in a fancy way. It also got us a little extra money, along with Aris' job as a piano player for high-profile guests. We needed that money for paying up for boarding and bed on the train.

"Well then," I exclaimed, jumping to my feet, trying to keep the image of my mother cooking delicious food for me out of my head, "I'm going to get ready now!"

"Ready for what, kiddo?"

We saw Uncle Hal standing behind Aris, a twinkling smile on his face. I hugged him tightly as he stroked my hair.

"Good morning princess," he said with a bright smile. He always smiled at me, and was always very nice. In all honesty, he and other members of the train crew were our own family, and they always acted like it. they had raised us, and cared for us when even our parents wouldn't. I loved them all, and Uncle Hal especially for he always had interesting stories to tell. When I was younger, I told him a lot of stories about fairies too, but now that my mother had left me for another family… I knew happy endings existed only in stories.

But I couldn't tell anyone that I didn't feel like telling tales anymore, they'd be too worried. No, happy Corinne was the norm. A sad or broken Corinne would be a trouble for everyone, especially Aris, who had looked after Duncan and me like a father.

"Good morning Uncle Hal!" I greeted, "Duncan is apparently making waffles for us."

"And scrambled eggs."

"And scrambled eggs," I agreed, "Anything to drink, Duncan?"

"Chocolate milkshake," Aris said, gaining an exasperated look from Duncan.

"Do we have any chocolates?" Uncle Hal asked.

"We do, actually," Aris replied with a smile, "But just for us crew members."

Uncle Hal permanent scowl softened a bit, and he ruffled Duncan's hair, annoying him even further. It was usually Uncle Dutch who did that, but Uncle Hal seemed to be in a happy mood today.

But it was a good question. Aris and Duncan seemed to have spent a lot somewhere to get stuff recently. A week ago, Aris got me new sheets and a new pillow, Duncan got me a new dress. They both took tesserae, a lot of it, and I knew Aris often sold half of those grains to pay for our boarding. Then why such extravagance all of a sudden?

"Aris…?" I asked, looking at my eldest brother, the boy who always wore a smile, but it also appeared as if he were hiding something from us. All the time.

"Corinne, we'll talk later," he smiled, "Now go and take a shower."

And with that, he started ushering me towards the bathroom to let me drown in my own thoughts.

 **Aristaeus "Aris" Salazar (18) D6M**

This was Corinne's first Reaping.

My little sister was standing amongst the many twelve-year-olds, all of them nervous. Of course, they'd be nervous. I hoped none of them were chosen, especially my Corinne. She knew what the Games were, but I hadn't really allowed her to watch it much. Working and living on the train, it had been easy to prevent her from seeing such gore. I didn't want her to lose her innocence like me.

My eyes tried to find Duncan, but he was far away from my vision. I hoped he was okay, and that he wouldn't be Reaped. I hoped none of us was, but in the case that I were chosen, I knew Duncan would take good care of Corinne.

The whole square seemed to be holding its breath as the mayor read the treaty of treason. We didn't stay in Six much, but I could tell that no other day in the year was as silent as this. Just one voice, one grieved voice, reading the treaty like every year.

"Hello District Six!" Isla, our escort, greeted, her purple wig wobbling dangerously as she beamed at us, not noticing the small detail that nobody was happy to see her.

She went on with her speech too, and I wondered what the point of it was. The mayor had delivered a speech already, why didn't she just get down to it? Why drag it?

"And now," she said in her sickly sweet voice, "Let's meet our female representative in the Seventy-third Hunger Games!"

As usual, nobody responded, except the mayor and Anya, who would be mentoring again this year.

Isla didn't let the lack of enthusiasm get her down though; she took forever to take out the chit from the bowl, dramatizing it as much as humanly possible, and then read out in a sing-song voice.

"Give it up for CORINNE SALAZAR!"

The earth seemed to have parted under my feet, and my eyes only saw my sister, my trembling sister being escorted to the stage.

No…!

"CORINNE!" I screamed, making a dash for the girl, when strong hands grabbed me and held me still. I struggled against the Peacekeepers, shouting out her name, hearing Duncan's cries other than my own.

"CORINNE! NO PLEASE NOT HER! CORINNE!"

"Silent!" one of the Peacekeepers restraining me barked, "You're making it worse!"

Worse?! For whom? For him? For me, it couldn't get any worse, the sister I had raised like my daughter had been Reaped. She was gone… gone…

Somebody clasped a hand against my mouth, holding me still, and by the falter of Duncan's screams I knew he was given the same treatment. This couldn't be happening… Corinne… the poor girl was literally shaking there on the stage!

"And for our male representative," Isla continued, as if nothing had happened, "Let's here for our male tribute… ARISTAEUS SALAZAR!"

"NOOOOO!"

My sister's distressed cry reached my ears even as she struggled against the Peacekeepers to reach me. However, I felt a strange sense of calmness. The irony of it all… If I hadn't just been Reaped with my sister I might have laughed. She wasn't alone anymore though, I would be there, guarding her. I'd protect her.

And soon I was on the stage, and I saw Duncan in the distance, the screaming mess that he had become, being restrained by the Peacekeepers. I shook my head at him; he needed to stay strong or he'd make a target of himself. And then, Corinne was in my arms, sobbing in fear. She didn't need to cry though, I would get her out. I hugged her as tightly as I could, even as Isla continued speaking, but her voice was nothing to my ears.

"Don't worry," I whispered in her ears, "It'll be fine."

* * *

I was waiting on the comfortable leather couch of the Justice Building, knowing nobody else would come. The train crew and Duncan had already visited, and I just hoped my brother would be okay in my absence. There was nobody else who would visit me.

Or that's what I thought.

The door swung open and in stepped the man I hated the most, the man I never wanted to see, the man who ruined my life.

I couldn't believe my father had the audacity to face me again, and too, in this situation.

My breathing hitched, my fists clenched, as I watched him.

He sighed.

"I'm sorry, son."

"Don't call me son."

I kept my voice calm, but it was getting hard. It was the same man who had sold me countless times for money. He had lost the right to call me his son.

"Fair enough. But Aris… I really want to apologise to you. I-I shouldn't have-"

"Get out."

"What?!"

"Get. Out."

He sighed again, before turning around and leaving.

Why did he have to show me his face? And that too now? Wasn't he satisfied with everything he had done to me already that he decided to mock me in what could possibly be my last days?

"Snap out of it," I muttered, closing my eyes, "Not worth it."

My focus had to be Corinne now. Only and only Corinne.

 **District Seven**

 **Monroe Alba (17) D7F**

Breaks were something I looked forward to everyday, because working as a lumberjack was boring.

But could I really break the family tradition of children being lumberjacks since they turned twelve? Whatever the case, it was a boring job, although things made it interesting sometimes.

Right now, it was the very handsome Elixir Axton who was sitting beside me that was making things interesting. We had met only a week ago, when he had been transferred to work in this part of the woods, and we got along really well. I just had to ask him out now, and he would be my boyfriend number 17 if things went well.

I was sure things would go well.

"I had a dream last night, Elixir," I said with a sly smile, looking into his deep brown eyes. He smiled shyly. Oh, so cute!

"What was it about?" he asked as he passed me a sandwich. I held it between my fingers delicately, my eyes not leaving his.

"Well, you were in there," I said, biting on my lower lip lightly.

"And?" he asked, a smile growing wide on his face.

"And we were sharing a chocolate. At the same time. And it was on the final bite…"

"We don't have a chocolate right now, sadly," he said, a smirk on his face.

"But we do have this sandwich."

"We can definitely share this."

And I was really happy to know that I had picked a smart guy this time. He caught up quite quickly! And as we both took a bite from the sandwich from opposite ends, I was sure it was going to go really well.

"ROEY!"

I dropped the sandwich from my hand, and turned around angrily to see Carter, smirking slyly.

"Oops, I think I came at the wrong time."

"Yes, you did."

"No no," Elixir said, his cheeks turning a bright red in embarrassment, "It's completely alright!"

"That's so sweet of you, Elixir," Carter said with a smile, "Otherwise you can see how my sister treats me."

"You just ruin my moments."

Of course, my sister had to interrupt it! It was honestly a creative way to ask Elixir out, at least I thought so, and she ruined it! for somebody who was my partner in crime, she created a lot of trouble in my personal endeavours.

"Well," I sighed, "What is it Carter?"

"I was just about to ask you to join me for lunch. But it seems you're _busy._ "

I smirked at her.

"You thought right."

"No!" Elixir exclaimed, looking devastated at this embarrassing moment, "We're not busy! Please join us."

And with that, Carter sat down between us, a satisfied smile on her face.

"I've got sweet buns," she said with a grin.

"No fair! Mom gave me sandwiches!"

"Madison gave me these."

"…"

Elixir, my poor darling, looked back and forth between us, and the confusion on his face made me laugh out loud.

"I'm sure Carter won't mind sharing," I told him cheerfully, and snatched the box from Carter, opened it, and stuffed a bun in Elixir's mouth, before taking the other and eating up within seconds. It was delicious, but what else could I expect from my sister?

"Thanks Carter!"

She scowled at me as I stuffed another bun in Elixir's mouth. He seemed to relish it, and I winked at Carter. She had honestly made it much easier for me to ask him out.

"Elixir, I think after the Reapings we should hang out tomorrow."

"I think that's a good idea," he replied shyly.

Carter laughed.

"Well, I guess my arrival wasn't much of a problem after all."

I grinned at her, still keeping the box of buns away from her reach.

"You're my sister. Of course your arrival isn't a problem."

And with a wink, I walked to Elixir and leaned against him, winking at my sister.

 **Arbor Basswood (17) D7M**

"Guys," our class representative, Aspen said as she entered our classroom, a gloomy look on her face, "Our request has been denied."

"Oh no!"

"What the hell!"

"Come on! How could they do this?!"

The whole class was an avalanche of loud voices, cursing the teachers, the system, the school, and everything else. Our poor Aspen… nobody was listening to what she had to say.

"Please calm down guys! We'll figure something out!"

"These morons need to get their heads straight!"

"How could they say no!"

"We're not asking for much!"

The noise was getting a little too much for me. Standing up, I straightened my shirt and walked out of my classroom, brushing Aspen's arm lightly on my way out. I closed the door softly and sighed. The noise had become unbearable now.

Something had to be done.

No, I didn't care that our class had worked hard for the event, but I did care about the effort and money it had taken to make the preparations right. We were about to stage an act as a fundraiser, and we had even got a permission letter from the Capitol to travel throughout Panem to perform. But then, the mayor, who also happened to be the owner of our prestigious school, decided that we couldn't do it. The class representatives of all the classes had a meeting with the board today… and they refused.

We were having a fundraiser for cancer patients here, in Seven, and we were serious about it. nobody in this school was really poor, and hence we could, in fact, think of people other than ourselves.

"Damn it," I muttered, walking down the deserted corridor, a noise to my own class' coming from every room. The entire school had been looking forward to it, and I wouldn't lie that I would have enjoyed seeing the whole country. How many people from Seven could actually claim to have done so?

I sat down on the stairs, with a pen and a blank paper, staring hard at it. Even if I wrote a letter, who should it be to? The mayor? Or…?

A sly smile played on my lips as I continued staring at the page. Of course, something _could_ be done. After all, we had a signed permission from the Capitol.

I started writing.

 _To,_

 _The Mayor,_

 _District Seven_

 _Dear Sir,_

 _I am Arbor Basswood, a student at Gold Crest Academy. As our class representatives had discussed with you, we have planned to have a fundraiser event throughout the country to aid the cancer patients here, in Seven. The condition of these patients is getting worse day by day due to lack of proper medical care, and we're hoping to buy the equipment required from the donations we'll receive from this event._

 _I understand that, at the meeting that our class representatives had with the board, we have been refused to organise any such event as stated above. However, I will like to bring your attention to the fact that we already have permission from Capitol official and ambassador to District Seven, Ms. Miranda Earl, to organise this event._

 _Please reconsider your decision once again. In case the Board still refuses to give us permission, we ill have no other option but to contact Ms. Miranda._

 _Thank you,_

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Arbor Basswood_

 _Gold Crest Academy_

I read my letter again, hoping that I had made my point clear. It was a little rude, and accusing, but at this time it was required. I hoped I wouldn't get into trouble for writing such a letter, but if I was correct, our mayor was really scared of Miranda. The ambassador had shown a lot of eagerness in our project, and had supported us all along.

The risk was there, but I was ready to take it. Most likely, the mayor would have no choice but to agree to my demands.

Smiling, I stood up, ready to post the letter.

 **Hi guys! So, here's another chapter, hope you enjoyed it. What do you think of the four tributes introduced here? Please don't hate on the Salazar kids. I know siblings getting Reaped will be uncommon, but I'm sure it isn't unheard of. It was fun to write all these characters, honestly, although Monroe's POV was definitely out of my comfort zone. I hope I didn't mess up any of these characters. If I did, I'm sorry, and please let me know. I received some feedback last chapter, and I have tried to implement them here, hopefully it worked. I'm sorry the chapter's quite short, I've been a little unwell lately.**

 **Have a great day!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Introductions**

 **District Five**

 **Audrey Delacroix (18) D5F**

Being a mechanic was hard in District Five.

Not because work wasn't available, but because the people here had 'miser' written on their foreheads. There were machines, big and small, that needed repairs all the time, but nobody was ever ready to pay the actual price for the repairs easily. They always 'bargained', which was just a sophisticated word for being a ***.

My work for the day was done. A car, yes a _car_ , had broken down and I had been working on it. Of course, it was a wonder that somebody owned a car in this rotten place, but it wasn't surprising that it had broken down. It was working again now though, and I hoped its owner wouldn't be that adamant about not paying the proper price for my services.

"Hey Axle," I said with a smile as my dog, waging his tail, jogged up to me enthusiastically. I patted him, a grin on my fair face, even as he pushed away my ponytail with his own furry tail, making me smile even brighter. Axle was honestly the only fellow who could make me smile, and he knew how to do that well.

My dad, Axle and I lived in the loft of our mechanics shop, and we had to keep poor Axle up here during the working hours as his presence apparently 'disturbed' our customers. A bunch of losers that they were, they didn't deserve to meet him anyway. But right now, it was night, and we could be the way we wanted to.

"Boy," I said as he attempted to lick my face, "I have to go and help dad cook. What will you eat?"

"Wooffff!"

"Fish?"

He nodded vigorously, actually expecting me to present it to him. I sighed. Fish was expensive in our District, and we couldn't really use up our hard-earned money on it.

"Fish isn't available, sadly."

I was always surprised when Axle understood my words, for he hung his head in gloom, the wagging of his tail paused, and he retreated exactly three steps from me.

"Audrey!"

I looked up from my friend to my father, his tired eyes wrinkled in a smile.

"Guess what?"

"What?" I asked him, surprised by his enthusiasm.

"Just now, the man whose car you had repaired paid up for it! The entire amount!"

"What…?"

I looked at him quietly, thinking about what he had said. The owner took his car? Right now? The shop was officially closed for the day. Nobody ever visited after the open hours for anything, and especially not to pay the entire amount. He must have been desperate if he came for the car tonight instead of the next day.

"You surely would have had to persuade him to pay, right dad?"

"No!"

I matched his astonished gaze firmly as he sat down on a stool, finally realising something. His brow furrowed as I looked on, and Axle went silent too, glancing from one of us to the other.

"On the contrary," dad replied, his eyes boring into the floor, "He actually left a tip for you."

A tip? For me? My jaw dropped at that. Nobody, _nobody_ in the history of this mechanics shops had ever left a tip for anyone. Nobody. I couldn't even decide how to react on this information. Why would that person want his car so badly at night? Why would he leave a tip?

"Anyway," dad said, smiling at me again, "I heard your conversation with Axle, and I think we can get some fish tomorrow?"

"Wwoooffff!"

Still a little fazed by the behaviour of this mysterious car-owner, I looked at Axle thoughtfully.

"Well, there you have it! He said yes, so I think I can buy some fish tomorrow."

"Dad, let's worry about tomorrow when it is tomorrow. Tonight, let me help you cook potatoes."

"Sure, my child. Potatoes are a delight too, after all."

 **Ajax Volt (18) D5M**

When the girl was called out to the stage, I could see the fear etched in her eyes. Death was, after all, frightening, but it was commendable how Audrey steeled herself and responded calmly, walking to the stage and nodding at the escort. She was a strong woman, and strength was rare these days in Outer Districts. That was not to be for long though. Soon, we would be a Career District too. The strong would protect the weak, the way it happened in One, Two and Four. Everyone could live independently. Fearlessly.

"And our male tribute is… GLOW BLITZKRIEG!"

I frowned. The trembling boy, merely of fifteen years of age, stepped out hesitantly. He was weak; he wouldn't last a day.

"I volunteer."

My voice, despite being calm rang through the area loud and clear. Maxima's expression was priceless, and I hoped the District could entertain itself on that one moment. The trembling boy was to shocked to even go back in his line, but I stepped out confidently, walking up to the stage. Maxima had still not recovered from the shock of having a volunteer from Five, but she would have to get used to it. when I would return as a victor, I'd set up a training academy here, in Five.

I brought my hand forward for her to shake, and that seemed to snap her out of her stupor.

"A-a volunteer?" she said, shaking my hand, "A volunteer! What's your name, young man?"

"Ajax. Ajax Volt."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ajax. Do you want to say something to your District?"

"Yes, thank you."

I took the mic from her and faced the crowd. Many of them looked shocked, many looked disgusted, many just looked awed. They would understand soon enough why I did what I did. I saw my mother crying for me where all the parents stood, and I tore my gaze away from her. I couldn't be weak, not now.

"Residents of District Five," I started, "I know you must be surprised with my decision. But believe me, I've taken this step for your good, for the good of this society. You'll see me soon, right here, after my victory. Please do support me during my journey from today. Thank you."

With that I stepped back, even as the audience broke out in a weak applause. Maxima though, was beside herself with joy. My eyes met Audrey's, and they showed nothing but disgust. I didn't care; it was unfortunate that we couldn't work together with that attitude. I turned around to see Sasha, my mentor, staring at me blatantly, head tilted to one side, as if trying to study me with an almost clinical interest. Just the way that he regarded me told me that we could work well together. After all, he was a strong man too, and I was sure he would understand my reasoning. I needed him to, because he was responsible for my sponsors.

Maxima raised our hands up in the air and spoke into the microphone.

"Give it up for your tributes, District Five: AUDREY DELACROIX AND AJAX VOLT!"

* * *

"Why did you do it?!"

My mother was sitting next to me, her face in her hands, weeping. It was honestly not a sight I needed right now, and I hugged her gingerly.

"Mother… Father always wanted to do good for the society. He's no more and… I wanted to finish what he started."

"By volunteering for the Hunger Games?! Ajax, have you lost your mind?!"

"No. you have to understand, mother. I've volunteered so that I win, and can set up a training academy here. We can be the next Careers, we'll never have to worry."

"What-"

"The Career Districts, mother! Their kids are safe, because somebody out there is willing to take the risk! To serve the society! They can live freely, they can live fearlessly, and most importantly they can _live,_ not merely exist! I want that kind of a safe society for our children, the children of Five, so that their future is secure. That their parents don't have to lose their kids."

" _Their_ parents?! what about your mother, Ajax?!"

I looked at her calmly, and wiped away her tears. Smiling lightly, I pulled her in another embrace. This side was for her, and only her, to see.

"My mother should start preparing for celebrations," I whispered in her ear, "Because she's the mother of the future victor."

Her grip on my shoulders tightened, but she did not say anything.

"Look after the orphanage, mother. The kids there need you."

 **District Twelve**

 **Farouka Qadri (16) D12F**

"Thank you so much Farouka!"

I smiled widely at Cole, who worked on a farm nearby. There were a few farms in District Twelve too, and many younger people preferred working on them.

"Yes Farouka, you're a life saver!"

Cole, Brandy and Ashford worked here diligently every day. Just as diligently, I brought fresh juice and sandwiches for them, because the poor hardworking men had nobody to look after them. They were all bachelors, and rarely home, so why not cook a meal for them? After all, they worked so hard to produce the same food that I cooked for them, so it wasn't a big deal. Plus, I loved seeing their smiles after having a refreshing lunch.

"Where will you go now, Farouka?" Brandy asked.

I adjusted my black veil and smiled at him.

"I'm going to go and work on some of the carpets. I've thought of some really beautiful designs and I want to stitch them before I forget all about them!"

"Then you must hurry!" Ashford gasped, just as he always did when I talked about stitching or designing. He was always interested in my artwork, and sometimes visited just to take a look. I really appreciated their interest in my work.

"Your parents must be so proud," Brandy continued fondly, but then sighed, "I wish your father could see you growing you every day."

"Yeah, I wish so too," I replied automatically, "But he's missing, so he can't really see it."

"I'm sorry!" Brandy exclaimed, "I didn't mean to…"

"I know," I smiled at him, "But I just wish the Peacekeepers would find him already. Anyway, I think I should go home now. Bye, and take care!"

"Bye Farouka, and thank you for the food!"

"And the juice!"

I beamed at them, before packing up all the containers that I had brought the food in. I adjusted my veil again, and set off for home.

My father… he'd been missing since forever now. The Peacekeepers hadn't found him yet. And they never would.

 _It had been a good day. I had had a long walk with Brandy and Cole, joking about silly things and just enjoying ourselves. Of course, I didn't want to go home. Nobody knew about what happened behind the closed doors of my house; to the world we were a perfect family. However, as I stood outside the door, I just hoped father wasn't beating mother, or worse, coercing her into doing things against her will. He did a lot of that, and whenever it was about to happen, mother always told me to run._

 _Always._

 _I sighed, and opened the door, walking into the house. And what I saw was exactly what I dreaded._

 _My mother, fallen on the floor, beaten up badly, blue, green and black bruises dotting her figure. Father brought down his belt on her broken body, earning a blood curdling scream from her._

" _What do you mean by no? you're my wife! You_ have _to do what I say!"_

 _My heart was beating rapidly against my ribcage, and I looked around frantically, hoping father wouldn't see me. He was a land worker, and I saw a hammer. I didn't know what happened, it was as if I blacked out for a moment, and when I was myself again, I saw my father lying on the floor, blood seeping from his head, his eyes staring into the void._

 _And I was holding the bloody hammer._

 _I dropped it as I realised what happened. No…no…_

 _NOO!_

 _My eyes couldn't leave his sprawled body, even as my injured mother took me in a hug._

" _We'll have to bury him," she whispered, "and then file a complaint."_

 _B-bury? I couldn't have-how…?_

 _This had to be a nightmare…_

It wasn't a nightmare.

As I walked towards my house, the same where the 'accident' happened, I still couldn't believe what I had done. Yes, he was abusive, very abusive. But…

What always scared me about the incident was that it was unintentional. I didn't even know what I was doing. I didn't recall actually grabbing the hammer and…

I sighed. It would do no good to think about it. it would be better if I went back to thinking how happy my friends were when I brought them food every day, or how grateful that old lady at the grocer's acted to me when I helped her at the shop. Or when that little kid smiled widely at me when I got him a candy. Those were the things to think about, not an abusive father who was dead, and due to which he could never be found.

Shaking my head, I entered my house, eager to stitch those designs.

 **Keegan Devlin (12) D12M**

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST ADMIT IT?!"

"WHY SHOULD I?! FOR YEARS YOU'VE BEEN GOING ON ABOUT THE SAME THING!"

"BECAUSE IT'S THE TRUTH!"

"IT'S NOT! JUST YOU SAYING SOMETHING DOESN'T MAKE IT TRUE!"

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TRYING TO FOOL?!"

"IF I WAS CHEATING ON YOU, YOU WOULDN'T BE HERE!"

I pushed my hands against my ears as tightly as I could, hoping to block out the noise. It was endless, and I meant it literally. Ever since I was ten, their screaming had been never-ending. Sometimes, I sought shelter in the woods, but only a small part of the woods was inside District Twelve boundaries. I always feared they would find me… and scream.

Apparently, my father was cheating on my mother, but I didn't really understand what that meant. Did he love someone else? If so, why did he not love my mother? Why couldn't he love both the people? after all, I loved both mom and dad. I couldn't understand what the deal was, but I didn't have the courage to ask either of them why it mattered so much. Because, instead of telling me anything, they _screamed._

Despite myself, I was crying now. We used to be so happy… our little family. We were never rich, and my parents could never take me to the optician although the vision in my left eye was blurry. I didn't hold it against them though, for they did everything in their power to keep me happy and be happy themselves. But that was years ago, not all that remained was screaming.

I furiously wiped at my tears, the noise trying to penetrate my ears, but I tried to keep it at bay. I didn't need to hear their screams, their loud, unfaltering voices, that was more of a noise than a sound.

 _I should do my homework. Maybe that will make them happy._

I sighed out loud. I always did my chores on time, but it never seemed to make them happy. There was no harm in trying though, so I sat down on the floor and produced my notebook from my bag. There was an essay on pollution to be submitted after two days. What could I write about pollution?

 _Pollution is harmful for the environment._

I stared at the sentence. Okay… why did it have to start like that?

I scratched it out. I had to think!

"…WHY DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE?!"

I exhaled loudly. Keep them out, keep them out, keep them out!

 _Pollution is the introduction of substances in the natural environment that cause adverse effects on it. there are many types of pollution, like air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution_

"IT'S MY HOUSE! WHY WOULD I LEAVE?!"

 _and_ _noise pollution_. 

I underlined those two words again, just to emphasise on it more. In all honesty, that was the most dangerous kind of pollution ever. Before I knew it, I was crying again. I loved my parents, and I knew they loved each other. Why were they arguing? Why didn't they ever tell me properly? Was I so bad that they couldn't trust me?

"What can I do to make you guys happy?" I muttered, staring at my notebook through teary eyes. I scratched the 'noise pollution' part and wrote it again properly. I didn't want Ms Deena to think there was something wrong with me. She was quick to understand if any kid was troubled, and I didn't want her to know that I was disturbed by the endless war of screams. My parents would be upset if she asked them about it, and I didn't want them to be more upset than they already were.

What could I do to make them happy? To make them love each other again? Was there _any_ way to do that?

Exhaling again, I put my notebook back in my bag and stood up. I was going to the woods to complete my homework, and hopefully they'd have stopped screaming by the time I would return. I always hoped for that, and it never happened.

One of these days though, I knew it would. I knew they would love each other again, because that was how it was before. I just had to wait and hope.

I always hoped for the best, but now I was just hoping for the best to come fast.

 **Hi guys! This came out much quicker than I had thought. So, what are your thoughts on the four characters that were introduced here? There's so much more to all of them, and I can't wait to write them further. I will say Ajax was a little tough to write, and I re-wrote his section thrice before finally settling on this. Hopefully, he wasn't too badly written. Let me know your thoughts on them, for I loved writing them.**

 **Have a great day!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Introductions**

 **District Four**

 **Minerva "Minnie" McCarthy (17) D4F**

"Wow Minnie! You're looking beautiful!"

"Thanks Michelle," I ruffled my little sister's hair, smiling at her, "It did take a while to make this bun, but I think I'm looking pretty good."

"You are! And it just really looks beautiful with your dress!"

"Well, I got some clothes for you too!"

My eight-year-old sister beamed in joy as I stood up, walking towards my cupboard. I had been shopping earlier with my friends, and there were these really cute shorts and T-shirt that caught my eye. And soon, I found the shoes too, and a beautiful bead necklace. My kid sister would obviously do kid fashion, but that didn't mean she couldn't have the fun stuff.

Her reaction was just as I imagined; Michelle eyes widened in joy and she hugged me dearly. I returned it.

"Thank you! Thank you so much Minnie!"

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, I do!"

And then suddenly, her mood changed completely. She set the clothes on the bed and lowered her head sadly.

Why was my little sister so upset all of a sudden? What was wrong?

I rested a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at me gloomily.

"What's the matter kiddo?" I asked softly, although I already knew what the matter would be.

"I-I don't know what I'll do without you. I mean, i- is this necessary?"

And with that question, I knew how much my little sister had grown up.

I smiled at her before making her sit on the bed and settling myself beside her.

"Yes Michelle, it is. It's what I've been training for since forever, and just look at how happy mom and dad are!"

These reasons were all true. However, they weren't the only reasons.

"You will return, right?"

I pursed my lips and sighed. I was confident that I would win the Games, I was trained and strong. But I also knew what would be a problem for me. I didn't want to think about how many people I would have to kill in order to be the victor. It wasn't going to be easy.

"Minnie…?"

"I'll be honest with you, Michelle. I'm pretty sure that I will return victorious."

I didn't need to say anything else. Michelle was a smart kid, and she knew what I was like. I knew she was worried, but I had to do this. For more than one reason.

"Anyway," I said brightly, pulling her closer, "I'll teach you how to do makeup properly, okay? You use too much foundation. We can determine just how much is enough!"

"Yes yes!" she exclaimed, "Also _please_ tell me how you apply those winged eyeliners! Yours are _always_ perfect!"

"Sure! It's pretty easy, I'll show you!"

* * *

It had been going on for a while now.

With a loud _thud_ , Brian's arm was down on the table, mine over his.

Grinning broadly, I looked him in the eye, he cursing aloud in mock frustration. This was what usually happened. We both really loved to arm wrestle, and I won pretty often. Brian was a tough opponent though, and I was glad that I could beat him. It showed that I was strong enough for the Games and that arms were good enough to land some blows.

"Dang it Brian," Eleanor exclaimed, "You lost again!"

"Tch tch," Amelia muttered, shaking her head in disapproval, but then she smiled at me. "Of course, what chance would he have against a volunteer?"

"Oh come on," I muttered nonchalantly, although I was sure my eyes would have expressed how I actually felt. I had worked hard for this opportunity.

"She's right!" Brian said with a wink, "I _was_ fighting a volunteer."

" _The_ volunteer!"

"The _future_ _victor_!"

"Okay, that's enough!"

"No no it's not! Think about it guys! Two victors for Four in a row!"

"That'll be brilliant!"

I bit my lip. I was sure I would be the victor but… _how_ could I be sure? The Careers would be trained too. They'd have a chance, and maybe they were stronger. Maybe they were prettier. Maybe they could speak better.

 _NO! Snap out of it, you're ready! You need to do it for Michelle!_

Indeed, I had to. Of course, I _was_ doing it for the honour of the opportunity! But my sister mattered just as much, if not more.

Eleanor and Amelia still seemed to be joking about something, but I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. It proceeded to take my hand, the nail art looking even prettier in the light.

"You're worried," Brian stated.

"No," I said quickly.

"It's okay Minnie. I'll look out for Michael, I mean, Michelle."

I knew he meant it well, and I decided to not chide him. After all, he did correct himself. Michelle wasn't Michael anymore, I just had to make it physically true. If I won, the prize amount would take care of that.

I smiled brightly at him.

"Thank you so much Brian. Means a lot!"

 **Atlas Cian (18) D4M**

The beach was completely deserted at that time, the night chilling the air.

I wasn't comfortable in visiting the beach; the water still reminded me of how my father drowned in it, and I always avoided it. Tonight though, was different. There was no need to go near the water, my prey would approach me on his own.

Triton would come alone, I had ensured that. The beach was the ideal place for this. It was so open, so damn open, that nobody would even expect anything to happen here. The Peacekeepers appointed in this area were all unconscious with all the drinking, and due to the Reapings being only two days from now, the curfew was so tight that nobody would dare go out. After all, the local people didn't know the Peacekeepers were passed out.

I wrapped the black scarf tightly around my face, leaving only the eyes open. I knew nobody was around, but why risk it? fists clenched by my side, I waited, still staying away from the water.

And then I saw him, Triton Neptuna walking on the cold sand, his silky hair moving in the wind. I watched him as he approached, confident despite his deeds, and I couldn't help but smirk to myself. The idiot had no idea what was coming his way.

"Where is it?" he asked upon reaching me, blue eyes glaring into my black ones. My smirk grew wider, although I knew he couldn't see it from behind the scarf.

"Where is _what_?" I asked innocently.

"You know what I'm talking about!"

"I don't, honestly."

"You've called me here!"

I had left a note in his locker in the training academy we both attended, calling him to meet me on the beach. He didn't know who I was, but I knew he would come still. It was only a trap anyway.

"Yeah, that was a trap. I don't have your tribute-acceptance letter. Just wanted to meet you."

He was visibly taken aback at my words, and retreated exactly four steps, looking shocked. This was the moment I had been waiting for.

Before he could actually anticipate what would happen, I pulled out a knife and ran it on his throat, killing him instantly. His eyes still wide in shock, went glassy even as he fell back on the sand with a thud, the blood dripping slowly from the knife.

"Sorry Triton, you were in my way," I whispered, kneeling down beside him, looking at his face, "This was my last year. I'm sorry it had to happen this way, but if you were the tribute then how would I kill the brats from Ten?"

Because that's what the Games offered me; revenge. My grandfather, originally from Ten, was called here because of his superior skills with numbers so that he could help the District progress economically. But District Ten… it never tried to get its people back. It owed my family, and it owed me. But it never cared. And since it didn't care about us, what right did they have to have their tributes back home?

District Ten would have to pay for what it did to my family.

* * *

"Atlas, be sure to return a winner."

I looked up at Darrius, the love of my life, and smiled at his worried face. He was always worried about me, and I wished that I could declare openly to the public what I felt for him. However, a person like me couldn't really come out that way, not unless I won.

"Do you really doubt I won't?"

"No!" he exclaimed, holding my face gently in his hands, "I have complete faith in you."

"I'll miss you," I told him, before embracing him tightly.

"I'll miss you too," he whispered in my ear, "I'll miss you a lot. I can't wait for you to be crowned winner already."

"Same."

"I'm surprised that Triton didn't volunteer. Was he even there for the Reapings?"

I continued stroking his back gently; he needn't know anything.

"Of course he was there! I'm sure he was just scared and backed out the last moment."

"But-"

" _But_ -" I cut him off, "That gave it easier for me to volunteer. So why worry about it?"

"True…"

I released him gently from my embrace and looked at him, smiling lightly.

"Listen, Darrius. You don't worry, okay? I'll be back soon and we'll make this official."

He beamed at me before hugging me again, which I returned.

 _And District Ten would pay too._

 **District Eight**

 **Max Paulson (15) D8M**

"I can't believe we're so close to it."

"I know right!" Rebecca exclaimed, "I can't believe it either!"

It had been two years since we had been working on this Solution, the Cat Ray Solution. At that time, we never expected anything to come out of it, but we continued anyway. There had been so many failures, so many failures, but things were getting better now.

"We can save so many lives," I muttered as I put jam on my toast.

"It's dripping on your shirt."

"What?"

I looked down absent-mindedly, only to find that my black shirt was covered with the jam. I sighed; it happened quite often. This was one of the reasons I wore dark coloured clothes, the stains didn't remain on them. Or rather, they weren't visible.

"Anyway," I continued, ignoring the sticky jam on my shirt, "Us working on the Solution is only part of it. We need people to actually act on the Solution."

"I have been working on poems and songs and a few stories," Rebecca answered, "Once the Solution is ready, we can spread them around, till everyone believes it."

She bit into her toast, watching me, although her mind was somewhere else. I too, wondered how we could actually make sure the Solution reached the people.

The concept of Ray Cat Solution was simple. We would genetically engineer cats, so that when they'd come in contact with radioactive radiations, they would change colour. This would indicate that the place was no safe for anyone to stay, and people could leave immediately. The tricky part was to get people to believe that something was wrong with the place. People, as far I was concerned, didn't really care about logical reasons, but they picked on patterns or phenomenon that could help them anyway. After the Solution was over, we needed to create a culture, a culture that ingrained in people that if a cat changed colour, they had to leave fast. Rebecca had created some really good poems and songs for this, and now she was working on stories.

The main problem would be to spread it.

"Max?"

"Hmm?"

"What if we're Reaped?"

I continued eating the toast, deciding to ignore her question. The thought of being Reaped was terrifying; all our progress would be lost! Everything that we'd worked for would be gone, finished, destroyed! Sure, Rebecca would be there, because it was highly unlikely that we'd both be Reaped, but we were used to working together. It would be hard for her to continue at the same pace; after all we were two minds. Plus, I wanted to make so many more things, things that would be useful for the people and the society.

"Max?"

"We won't be Reaped."

She looked on, the toast lying on the plate.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I can't," I replied, "But if we think too much about it, we won't be able to focus on our work."

"Still doesn't answer my question."

"Fine, we can be Reaped. And if it happens, our whole progress will be destroyed, because nobody will know what to do with it. And even if they do, the Capitol will certainly destroy everything that we've worked on. If it's discovered, they might even punish our parents."

Rebecca's eyes darkened at my words, and I knew she didn't like what I said. I knew it would happen, and that's why I didn't want to discuss it. I didn't know how to sugar coat things.

"In short," I said with a tone of finality, "It will be terrible and we shouldn't think about it if we want to get our work done."

She sighed, and then finally picked up her toast to eat it completely.

"You're right. Come on, let's finish this fast and go to the garage-lab."

I nodded, and my toast was gone within a few seconds. She laughed out at that, and soon she was done too. I grabbed my black lab coat and put it on, when I heard voices outside the house.

Rebecca and I exchanged a look and then went outside to see what was going on.

 **Rebecca Ravensway (15) D8F**

Upon going out into the garden, we saw a Peacekeeper talking to Max's dads.

"You need to mow the lawn. A lot of snakes have been seen popping out of unkempt gardens."

"Sure sir," Mr Samuel said.

"We'll mow it right away," Mr Ander added.

The Peacekeeper's eyes wandered over to the two of us, and he frowned. What was he thinking?

"Are they both your children?"

"No," Mr Ander replied, "Max is our son, whereas she's her friend."

"I see…"

He started walking towards us purposefully and I wondered why. But then I realised it.

Max was wearing a lab coat.

I felt my blood chill as it dawned on me that this could be the end of our work. The garage lab was just behind the house, not visible from the front, but what if he discovered it? I couldn't let it show though, how unnerved I felt by his presence, so I smiled at him.

"What were you doing?" he asked Max directly, ignoring my presence altogether.

Despite myself, I felt annoyed at this behaviour. How could he just ignore me? Of course, I _didn't_ want to be interrogated by a Peacekeeper, but it was still annoying. And this particular question was dangerous as well. I looked at Max, wondering what he would say. He never lied, after all, it was just not him.

"Eating toast?" he replied, moving his arms just a bit so that the lab coat would open up just enough to show the jam that still stuck to his shirt.

"With a coat?"

"I like wearing coats. They're just my thing."

The Peacekeeper continued looking at us, as if expecting something more.

"Okay, fine," Max said finally, "I had to work in the chemistry lab at school, and white coats really get stained with all those chemicals. I have just returned from school, and ate toast."

It just didn't seem right coming from him. max was not a liar, and it kind of showed. This might have been the first lie he'd ever spoken.

"Yes sir," I said, "We're just coming from school!"

"You're not wearing a coat."

"I'm in a different class, and didn't have Chemistry today."

Even as he continued to stare at us, trying to intimidate us, Max's dads spoke up.

"Yes, they're just returning from school, sir."

The Peacekeeper nodded and walked away towards the house. He stared at it for a second or two, before taking out a clipboard and ticking something.

"Well, make sure to work on the garden. I'll come again tomorrow in two days to check."

And with that, he walked out of the house.

All four of us sighed in relief. Max's dads knew what we were up to, and I was glad we had their support. I just hoped the Peacekeeper wouldn't bother checking Max's records, because he had passed high school exams two years ago with the best grades.

"All right, you two, get going with your work!"

* * *

I couldn't believe this.

I just couldn't-how was this possible?! I was Reaped?! I didn't even register anything, and all of a sudden, I was on the stage instead of being in the line of 15-year-olds.

 _I was Reaped?!_

I looked up to see our mentor, Charles, looking at me silently, as if studying me. I looked away, before he could unnerve me even more.

"And our male tribute is… MAX PAULSON!"

Max…?

My eyes searched the crowds impatiently, finding him walking slowly towards the stage, stoic, having a surprised look on his face. Max? How could he be Reaped?

Soon he was beside me, and he smiled softly at me. I knew what he was thinking; we worked so well together. And fate had it that we were going to the Games together too.

As the escort raised our hands up, I found myself looking at Charles again, and I was surprised that he was frowning, looking between me and Max, his mouth opened slightly, and then a look of understanding appeared on his face.

Wait… what was it that he had figured out? Why were his eyes darting between us?

And then it dawned on me. He figured out that we knew each other. And I figured out…no…

That Peacekeeper… he knew we were lying…

Max and I had been rigged into the Games.

 **Hi! So, this chapter is finally here. I'm nervous about every single tribute in this chapter, because they were all so detailed and complex. I could show only a part of their personalities, and I hope I didn't mess them up. I loved writing them all. Do let me know your thoughts on the tributes. I know Max's section is slightly shorter, and I apologise for that. It wasn't intentional, it kind of just flowed that way. It isn't _that_ short though, other POVs have a lot more dialogue. Anyway, thanks for reading!**

 **Have a great day!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Introductions**

 **District Two**

 **Julian Arum (17) D2M**

As such I had not planned to volunteer until next year, but due to the recent situations in my family, I was in urgent need of money. We were poor, and my brother, Augustus, was dying, and so I was volunteering a year earlier.

I was still contemplating on this decision, but the time for action was here. Cicero and Bellona were standing on either side of me, leaning against the wall, as we eyed our prey. Marcus was walking towards his locker, he being the only one there besides us. He was going to collect his token; the Reapings were to start in a couple of hours.

"Are you sure we should do this?" I whispered.

"Of course!" my friends replied as one.

I sighed, already feeling bad about Marcus. This was his last chance, and I was about to snatch it from him. But I needed the money, and I was going to volunteer anyway. I hoped he would understand, although I knew he wouldn't. I wouldn't, if I were in his place.

"Let's do this."

Bellona nodded and the three of us started walking towards the locker too, laughing at random jokes.

"- and then when she started losing the argument, she said, 'you horrible person, how dare you point at me!' and the entire argument went down the drain."

"Tch tch, that's a shame," I shook my head.

"She _always_ does that!"

"I know right!"

"Hey Marcus!" Cicero called out, waving at the other boy, "What's up bro?"

"Oh hi guys," Marcus smiled, and I felt a knot in my stomach. He was a sweet, and truly deserving guy. I felt like I was cheating, and I normal circumstances I'd never do this. But…

"Marcus, ready for the big day?" Bellona asked as she opened her locker.

"Oh, oh yes, I've never been readier," he replied confidently.

"We'll be rooting for you!" I smiled, "We know you can win this!"

"That's so sweet of you, Julian! Thank you so much guys!"

"Let's have sweet beginnings to the journey to your victory!" Cicero said genuinely, and produced three candy bars from his pocket, handing Bellona and Marcus one each.

"The two of us can share it," I smiled, taking off the wrapper, and breaking it in half, handing one part over to Cicero. I made sure my nervousness wasn't visible on my face as I took a bite, and Bellona and Cicero did the same. I tried not to stare too blatantly at Marcus as he started eating his, we were all on good terms after all, and for a few seconds, or maybe hours, we were all chewing on our chocolates. Bellona, who was standing right next to Cicero, stared at him hard as he ate, finishing the bar.

"Thanks Cicero, that was good. Now, I think I should go home and change."

"You're right, good luck!"

And then he shut his locker, and turned around with a wave. He started walking, and time seemed to have almost frozen for me.

Two steps… five steps…seven…ten…twelve…

I watched with bated breath, waiting, waiting, waiting…

His legs stumbled and he fell with a _thud._

Slowly, with a sense of finality, I exhaled. We stared at him for a few seconds, unable to believe that we had actually managed to pull it off.

"How long will the sedative last?" I asked, sounding more neutral than I felt.

"Three hours."

"Good," Bellona muttered, "Let's lock him up.

And soon Cicero and I were pushing the unconscious Marcus into the broom cupboard, having tied him up with a rope from the training area, and Bellona secured the door.

"He'll be able to get out once he regains consciousness," she said, "But nobody will be able to find him out."

"Great! Thanks guys, it's really appreciated."

"No problem!" Cicero clapped on my back, "Now let's go get ready!"

"Well, well, well. How interesting."

I spun around from the broom cupboard, and it was shocking, for a lack of a better term, to see Venus Hallow looking at us, arms crossed against her chest.

 **Venus Hallow (17) D2F**

I had accidentally left my token, a small white teddy bear, back in my locker at the training academy, and so I went back to get it. little did I know I would stumble across such suspicious and inappropriate activity.

Three kids from the academy were tying up my to-be district partner, and locking him up in the broom cupboard. In had heard of people taking extreme measures to secure their place as a volunteer, but this was an entirely new thing. So, I stood and watched, wondering which of the two guys wanted to volunteer that badly.

"He'll be able to get out once he regains consciousness," Bellona said, "But nobody will be able to find him out."

"Great! Thanks guys, it's really appreciated."

"No problem!" Cicero clapped on Julian's back, "Now let's go get ready!"

So it was Julian who was going to volunteer. It was rather surprising, in all honesty. He was a talented kid, a star among the trainees because of his skills, and was guaranteed a spot for next year. What could be driving him to take such action now?

"Well, well, well. How interesting."

I couldn't help but voice it out loud. This was the most interesting scenario for me. I just wished I could have some popcorn that I could enjoy as I watched their reactions as they saw that I knew what they had done. Sadly, popcorn was available only in the Capitol. It was decided, in the Capitol, the first thing I would eat would be popcorn. Maybe caramel ones…

"Did you see everything?" Julian asked confidently, bringing me back to the situation. Right, they were locking up my district partner.

"I saw you locking him up," I replied aloud.

"Sshh!" Bellona whispered, "Don't be so loud!"

"Hey!" I protested.

I knew I was loud, but that didn't mean they had to remind me every time. I just… couldn't bring myself to talk softly. Especially now, when I was so excited. I had witnessed something close to a crime, after all.

"Lower your voice!"

"I won't," I retorted, "It's you guys who're up to no good."

"Listen Venus-"

"I'm telling everyone," I said with a tone of finality, twirling my hair as always, turning around to walk away.

Suddenly, a firm but gentle fist grabbed my arm and pulled me back, making me almost fall down.

"Hey you piece of ***!" I screamed, "What was that for?!"

"I'm sorry," Julian said, and it sounded so gentle that I calmed down automatically, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Why the hell did you guys do that?" I asked, trying to lower my voice.

"Still too loud," Bellona muttered, "Your voice will override the effect of the sedative."

"Oh so it's a sedative! I thought you guys punched him out or something, you know. Sedative though, totally not cool."

At that moment, the door of the broom cupboard flew open, and the unconscious body of my district partner fell down.

"First you do things that are inappropriate," I said, eyeing all three of them, "and then you can't even do that properly? Such a shame."

I walked towards the boy and poked him with his toe to check whether he really was unconscious.

"Don't do that!" Cicero cried out.

I rolled my eyes and lifted the supposed volunteer, and threw him back into the cupboard. Closing the door, I pulled a chair sitting nearby and pushed it against the cupboard.

"It won't open now."

"You helped us," Julian said, and it wasn't a question.

Twirling my hair, I tilted my head and regarded him.

"Ah yes," I replied, "you must have a good reason for doing this, for you're a good kid. Plus, Marcus actually fell for a *** sedative. I wouldn't want the shame of having a dumb district partner."

Slowly, a smile started creeping on Julian's face, and I smirked too.

"By the way, what was it? injection? Alcohol? Something else?"

"Chocolate," Cicero laughed, "The sedative was in the chocolate."

I laughed out loud, bending double, holding my stomach. I knew they were staring but this was hilarious. Marcus got knocked out by a stupid chocolate!

"Well, I guess anyone would fall for a chocolate," I said, once I got my laughter under control, "so he isn't that dumb. But… _chocolate_!"

And then I was laughing again, siting on y knees, pounding on the floor, chuckles and giggles echoing in the room.

But Julian was smiling, and it was a genuine smile, and soon he had pulled me to my feet gently.

"Come on, let's go. We need to get ready."

"We sure do! And there are lots of chocolates waiting to be grabbed on the train!"

 **District Ten**

 **Junova "June" Parkers (15) D10F**

I had been observing this woman for a few days now.

The witch was old and wealthy, and her tummy just moved in ripples when she walked. Food worth loads of money was in it, and the witch just seemed to be on the point of blowing up. but she was rich, and in this world, the rich could do anything.

So when she got a pearl necklace imported from the Capitol, was when I truly understood her power. There must have been a lot of regulations she would have had to clear to get anything from the Capitol, and a pearl necklace at that!

She didn't know that I had an eye on her, but that necklace had to be mine. I felt my heart race in excitement as I anticipated how I would get it. Breaking into houses to get the things I desired always elated me. I didn't care whether people hated me for stealing, not that they knew it was me, but still.

And soon, I saw the rich witch leave the house, humming a tune, probably to stuff herself with more food. I was honestly worried she'd explode, and I hoped she'd consider starving herself for a few days, but she couldn't take too much of my mental space, so I threw her out of my brain like the trash she was, and climbed over the wall, landing soundlessly in her garden. Yes, she had a garden, with flowers too, and I stamped on them hard. The idiot deserved it for spending so much on useless things like flowers.

To my utter surprise, the main door was unlocked, and it swung open as I turned the knob and pushed. Stepping into room with leather couches, I couldn't help but cringe. So. Much. Extravagance. I was feeling annoyed now. Who the hell gave her the right to be so rich? She deserved a lot more stolen from her than just a pearl necklace, but I shook that thought away. I couldn't distract myself from my goal.

I walked inside the bedroom, to see that an actual twin-bed there, with velvet sheets. Hmm… the sheets would alone get me a lot of money if I sold them. I started looking around in the room. First the cupboard, that was full of designer dresses that could never fit the body of that buffalo, and more velvet sheets. However, there was no jewellery there, and I frowned. Okay, so she wasn't as big an idiot as she looked to be.

And then I was searching the shelves, the bed, the table, other rooms, kitchen, but found nothing. She hadn't even been wearing them. Then where…?

I looked around the bedroom again, and then I saw the thing that I hadn't checked.

I knew it would be there.

Smirking, I grabbed a pillow and dug my hand into the pillow case. Surely enough, my fingers enclosed around something, and soon I was staring at the pearl necklace, the beautiful, beautiful piece of jewellery that certainly didn't suit that cow. Its beauty was dazzling, and I turned it around, feeling it.

It must be worth so much! I wondered how much money I could get for it. Had anyone in the market where I traded even seen such a thing in their entire life? It must cost a fortune…

I shook my head, trying to pull myself out of the trance. I needed to get out of here. Quickly going out into the garden, I climbed up the wall again, and jumped down, only to see my friend Alex walk in from around the corner.

He stopped in his tracks, staring at me sadly.

"Again, June?"

I furrowed my brows at him.

"Come on Alex, not again."

"Please, please stop this June."

"I can't," I answer coldly, "You know nobody give a *** about me at home. I need to look out for myself."

"This isn't the way, June!"

"Alex, dear, _I'll_ decide what way works for me. Now, move aside."

I pushed past him, and I felt slightly bad for talking to him this way. but he just didn't seem to understand. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

All that mattered was how much I would get for the necklace.

 **Sylo Shaw (17) D10M**

 _My stomach rumbled painfully as I trudged on. I hadn't eaten in two days now, and I knew I had to find food soon or I would perish. My body was ready to collapse but I moved on, trying to keep myself awake. Since I was eight, when I ran away from the orphanage, I'd always had to steal food. At first, I was clumsy, but now I was an expert in the area._

 _There was a bakery in front of me, closed for business. I was certain the baker wouldn't be there, not this late, but when I inched closer, I saw that the light of the shop area was on, although the light in the kitchen wasn't. I stopped, looking ahead cautiously. Should I break in?_

 _Whatever doubt I had was gone when my stomach growled angrily. It knew food was near, and now my body couldn't turn away from it. It needed it. The baker was a nice woman, I wouldn't steal much from her. Just a single loaf of bread would be more than enough._

 _I pulled out my knife that I had stolen a couple of months ago, and started working on the lock. It clicked and the door swung open._

 _I saw different types of bread there, and my mouth started watering. I was so hungry… I wanted to take everything with me. However, I couldn't do that. I had promised myself a single loaf of bread, and I was sticking to that._

 _And I grabbed it, ready to run out, when a firm hand pulled me back._

" _Thief! THIEF!"_

 _The baker woman, the kind, elderly woman, was there. I didn't even realise she was there… how could I be so stupid! It was the first time I had been caught._

" _THIEF!"_

 _In panic, I cut her with my knife, in the hope that she'd let me go. I didn't know what happened though, but I knew I had cut her in the wrong place. The blood was pouring out incessantly and soon she was throwing up blood too. I didn't know what to do but something told me, something told me to run, to hide, to survive._

 _Grabbing the loaf of bread, I ran, ran out of the store, ran far away onto the street and into the darkness._

That was two years ago. I wasn't caught for the murder, but someone else had been arrested… and then executed. It was hard after that, living with myself. The woman's face never left my vision, neither did the blood. I didn't want to steal anymore, I was tired of it. But I had to, I had to in order to survive. I wanted to live. And for a person like me, there was no alternative.

Today was Reapings. I hated it. that was the day when I truly felt I could die, and that too in in a brutal way. I always thought I'd be picked, although I didn't take tesserae, because I stole all that I needed. But I always feared that one day, somebody would notice that I was the thief, and they'd rig the Reapings in order to punish me. I didn't want that, not at all.

But I didn't want to look too bad on the Reaping Day either. Most children wore clean clothes at least, if nothing special. I didn't want to attract attention to myself, and my current dirty attire would do just that. I needed to steal an outfit for myself, so that I looked like an ordinary kid among so many ordinary kids.

It would be risky to steal today though. The Peacekeepers would be more alert than ever, and I didn't want to be caught. I usually stole from the trade market, but maybe, maybe I could break into someone's house this time.

I dreaded it.

The events from two years ago flashed in my head. What if it happened again? Could I bear any more guilt?

 _I have to survive._

And for that, I had to make sure I didn't stand out from the crowd.

 **Hey guys! So here I am with another chapter! Hopefully you liked it. I'll be honest, I really enjoyed writing this a lot, it was fun. These are some great characters here! I don't have much to say, but my exams are coming so I don't know when I'll update next. It won't be that long though. Do let me know your thoughts on this chapter, and the tributes, or anything else that you'd like me to know. Also, if there's anything you don't like about your character, regarding the way they're written, PM and let me know what went wrong and I'll work on it in the future chapters.**

 **Have a great day!**

 **PS: I have no intention of insulting overweight people or anyone in this chapter. I just thought June would think in that way. Sorry if anyone got offended.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Trigger warning: Misha's POV has suicidal thoughts, so if you're not okay with it, skip that, and you can let me know and I'll summarise for you in PM.**

 **Introductions**

 **District Eleven**

 **Dexter Noults (16) D11M**

"Gosh Dexter, not another one!" Amelia exclaimed as she looked at me in exasperation.

"Come on girl, you do you, I do me."

She sighed dramatically, but didn't press the matter further. She often reacted this way when I wore dresses, but I knew she was just pulling my leg, and at the end of the day my sister loved me a lot.

"We have to go and work on the fields," she said as she downed a glass of water, the looked at me again, in my flowing blue dress, "You can't really work in that."

"I got it covered sis," I replied, clapping her on the back hard, to the point that she almost fell down.

"Oye!"

But she was right, I couldn't work in a dress like this. With a sigh, I went into my 'room', which was nothing but a small partition in our one big room hidden by a ragged old curtain. The dress that I had designed looked beautiful, even if I had made it out of the cheapest fabric available. It was a pity I couldn't work on the fields like this. Slowly, I changed into my work overalls, not looking forward to going out to work. People were… mean, for a lack of better term. But that was what this whole country was about. They couldn't, just couldn't, accept the fact that people could actually love themselves despite being different. People here didn't want others to accept themselves as they were, and I was directly opposing that mindset. I loved myself, I loved who I was, and I had no problem in being open about it.

Having finished pulling on my overalls, I moved the curtain away and stepped out, nodding at Amelia. It was time to leave for work. My other siblings had left already, except Ryder, who couldn't work… because of me. Every time I saw my ten-year-old brother, I was reminded painfully of the day that I had carelessly left a sickle and Ryder had had his accident with it. because of my carelessness, my little brother lost an entire arm. If only I had been more careful… if only…

But Ryder was a sweetheart. He didn't hold it against me, and loved me a lot nonetheless. I wish I could do something for him, something to help him out, but there was nothing, nothing that I could do.

"We'll be home soon, Ryder," I said, smiling at him, and ruffled his hair.

"Sure! Bye-bye!"

We departed from our rundown house and hit the dusty roads. District Eleven was not a nice place to live in. the people weren't that accepting, and the Peacekeepers brutally beat up innocent folks all the time. They sometimes killed them too, when they thought the person 'deserved it'. The reasons were as trivial as stealing a loaf of bread. Sometimes, I wished I could show these people their place, but as of now, I was powerless to do that.

"Hey ***! Where you off to?"

Amelia and I stopped in our tracks, and I narrowed my eyes. I could recognise that voice anywhere.

"Ignore it," Amelia said, pulling at my arm, "He's not worth it."

"Where's your sharp tongue ***?!" Thorn Yala prodded.

Thorn was the king of horrible people. Ever since he found out that I liked guys, he had been pretty particular about taunting me about it. He was a piece of *** by all means, and only spilled vomit when he talked. I had shown him his place many times, but never physically. It seemed like the time had come for that.

"People like you are a disease-"

My fist connected with his jaw, sending him flying away and hitting the road, blood oozing out of his mouth.

"This disease can kill you," I spat at him, before kicking him again.

"Dex!" Amelia gasped but I paid her no heed. Thorn was unable to get up, and I decided to leave him be.

"Let's go Amelia."

 **Raiza Relic (12) D11F**

Reading loads of history books had taught me one thing: the world was worse than we experienced it as. There had been times in history when people had prospered, they had been happy, they had rights. Now though, it was a completely different story.

History books were rare, and completely illegal, punishable by death. My parents were involved in the rebellion though, and supplied and bought illegal material from all over the country, including this camera that I was using. No, the camera wasn't illegal, but as a middle class person, I wasn't supposed to be having it.

Having wrapped my black and white patterned scarf around my head and neck, I stood by the Square, my camera hidden under my scarf. Nobody who would look at me could have made it out. I had to record what was to happen I had to get it out.

A woman had stolen three apples from an orchard. Three. Apples. And she was about to be executed, right here, publicly, to make an example. These people disgusted me, but what could I do? The most I could do was get my story out, and that was why I was here.

The Peacekeepers dragged the woman into the square by her hair.

"Please! Please! PLEASE DON'T!" she pleaded, tears streaming down her face that was covered in dirt. The Peacekeeper kicked her in the side and she cried out in pain.

"All because she stole three apples from an orchard meant for its owner," I whispered, making sure nobody could hear me. My camera would pick on my voice though. People needed to see this, what happened in District Eleven. I continued, "The punishment here is death, and the government cherishes it."

The woman was beaten up and then tied to a pole. One of the Peacekeepers pulled out his whip and started whipping her relentlessly, taking out all his frustrations o the poor woman. It was getting hard to watch now, for she was barely a human at this point of time. And then they pulled her head back, and began shaving her hair.

"They don't just kill you," I whispered, "They rob you of your dignity. They're going to whip her to death, and that's the punishment they've decided on."

It was getting too hard now. Her skin had started opening up, and her bald head glistened in the sunlight. Blood seeped out from the countless bruises on her body, her cries were muffled by fresh cries. They kept on whipping her, taking turns at it, each as menacing as before. My hand went under the scarf for just a second, so that nobody would notice what I did. Zooming onto the faces of the Peacekeepers, I whispered even as my heart raced.

"This is going to continue till she dies. Could be a few minutes, could be hours."

All around me, the people in the square stared at the woman. There was a little boy crying from afar, and I guessed it must be her son. I felt terrible for him as he screamed for the woman, being restrained by a man whom I assumed to be his father. Other people though, the countless people who watched, had their faces devoid of any emotion. I tried to capture everything in my camera, recording the child, the people, and the Peacekeepers. The woman had stopped screaming now, but the Peacekeepers were still whipping her, old scars being replaced by new ones.

"I think she's passed out," I whispered, "Not long until she dies."

I sighed internally. This was a painful way to go, and disgusting too. But here, in a dystopian world, nobody cared enough for people's lives. A life mattered nothing, especially if you lived in District Eleven. I was sure that, like me, many people felt many things when they saw something like this, but we kept quiet, because we didn't want to bring trouble on ourselves. I didn't know whether me posting videos online through rebel Internet network was actually worth anything, but I needed to do something in my life.

The Peacekeepers finally stopped to check her pulse, and jeered.

"She's dead," I whispered, my voice getting caught in my throat, "And that's how you're shown your place here."

With that, I turned around from the sight of the wretched woman, and walked away, turning the camera off.

 **District Nine**

 **Misha Windover (18) D9F**

As I stood waiting for the Reapings to begin, I couldn't help but look at Shizune, who was standing right in front of me. My heart was about to be shattered again. Shizune, my best friend, my love… I wished it could stay the same between us. But I had betrayed her last year, done something so disgusting that I couldn't forgive myself, so how could I ask her to forgive me? I still remembered the night that I spent with her significant other, destroying my friendship with them both. I was depressed, felt like killing myself, and when Harvest offered comfort… it kind of went downhill.

As everyone around me was as silent as a pin dropping, I couldn't help but wonder what it felt like to be scared for your life. All these people here, none of them wanted to die. I guessed their lives had meaning and they were happy. My life? It was pretty meaningless. There was just no point in continuing, continuing to do anything, even living. The only reason for me not having gone ahead with ending my miserable and pointless life was that I didn't want to make my parents sad. They worked so hard to keep the food on the table, and to make sure I never took tesserae. They loved me when I couldn't love myself, and there seemed to be no other reason for me to continue.

The escort, I forgot what her name was, appeared on the stage, carrying her haughty attitude with her. She looked disgusted at being here, in District Nine, and I couldn't help rolling my eyes. With her bubble gum pink hair, and her wrinkles covered in three kilograms of makeup, she was no better than any of us. In fact, she must be ugly if she had to work so much to hide her true appearance.

"Hello District Nine!" she said in her fake enthusiasm, "Welcome to the Reapings of the Seventy-third Annual Hunger Games! It's a pleasure to be here, amongst you lovely, _lovely_ people!"

I clapped enthusiastically, and everyone gave me a look. Nobody, _nobody_ ever clapped at the Reapings at an escort's words. But I just found it so funny that I couldn't help it at all. The escort, however, thought I was being genuine, and smiled brightly at me.

"Thank you! Thank you! And now, let's pick our female tribute!"

She walked slowly, swaying her hips, to the bowl that held the female tributes. She moved her hand over the bowl, slowly, dramatically, and for other people, agonisingly. Then she dug her hand _deep_ into the bowl, right to the bottom, and pulled out a slip. A beautiful yellow slip.

"District Nine, give it up for Shizune Tanaka!"

My heart dropped to my stomach. In front of me, my former best friend and the love of my life stood still. She didn't know… Shizune was deaf, she couldn't know. People were staring at her, people who knew her, and started whispering. Looking at so many people staring at her, she realised what had happened, and her body started trembling.

I rested my hand on her shoulder, stopping her. We hadn't spoken since two months, ever since she found out, but at this moment, our eyes met, and there was only shock in hers. I raised my other hand, and as enthusiastically and powerfully I could, I said, "I volunteer as tribute!"

Shizune's eyes widened as she saw me act. She shook her head frantically, and maybe things were finally getting better between us.

I smiled at her, and in sign language told her to look after herself, before starting my walk towards the stage, smiling at the escort. My life was useless anyway, worthless. At least if I went to the Games, I could lessen the guilt I had been carrying in my heart since a year.

"A volunteer?!" the escort, whose name I still couldn't remember, exclaimed in surprise, "This is amazing! What's your name, honey?"

I noticed that she was trying her best to be polite, but was actually really repulsed. It must be my skin, I had white blotches everywhere on my dark skin, and I was certain she might not have seen something like this before. Or maybe she had, and she just chose to be a git.

"I'm Misha Windover!" I said with a smile, shaking her hand, something she obviously didn't want to do.

"It's great to have you here Misha!" she said and then faced the audience.

"Now let's choose our male tribute!"

 **Malakai Youngblood (17) D9M**

The pub near my house was full, as people used to hang out here before the Reapings. They were usually older men, sometimes, older women, but I loved being here with my friends. Ryker, Serenity and I had a table to ourselves, a half full bottle of alcohol at the centre of the table.

"It's sad the Reapings start in an hour," Ryker muttered as he downed a glass of the drink in one go.

"Easy there," I said, "It's still an hour away, we can enjoy ourselves some more."

"True!" Serenity exclaimed, as she poured herself another glass, "The Square is like, ten minutes from here."

"The alcohol here is nothing," I muttered as I set my glass down, "The whiskey available in the Capitol is the real thing."

"I know right!" Ryker burped, "Man, that was heaven."

"Exactly. The Capitol has the best things," I continued, "Expensive champagne, great baths, comfortable lodging, delicious foods, and of course, pretty girls."

"Oh come on!" Serenity exclaimed, "The girls here are pretty too!"

"Not as much as the Capitol ones," I said, "Except you, of course."

"Oh Malakai, you're such a liar."

"Never," I said confidently, "Never will I lie to you, my friend."

"Ay," Ryker interrupted, "Do you know Demetrius asked Ms Katherine to dinner?"

I spit out my drink at his face, making him swear. That was secondary, and I just stared at him as Serenity laughed.

"What?!" I asked in shock.

"What the hell," he muttered as wiped his face with his handkerchief, looking at me in disgust.

"Sorry bro," I said quickly, "But do you mean it?"

"Ah yes, Demetrius went up to her after school yesterday and said, 'Ma'am, will you like to come have dinner at Fancy Café? It's close to the school.'"

"Damn," Serenity whispered, "What happened after that?"

"Well," Ryker continued, the spitting incident already forgotten, "Ms. Katherine ugly beat him up. suspended him for a week."

I leaned back in my chair, disappointed with the conclusion. Now, it would have been interesting if Ms Katherine had said yes. Ms Katherine was a pretty woman, and I could totally understand Demetrius' feelings. And I admitted that it took courage to ask such a question to a teacher.

"Ms Kathrine is as pretty as a Capitol woman," I said, drinking slowly.

"True, true."

My father owned a factory that packaged bread to be exported especially to the Capitol. He often got gifts from his clients there, gifts like expensive champagne, delicious chocolates, and amazing watches and clothes, among others. Some clients came down to visit, my dad and I, as we both worked at the factory, and that was when I saw the Capitol women. After that, I couldn't find the girls in my District to be very pretty.

"I wish I could go to the Capitol," I sighed.

"Be careful about what you wish for," Ryker said, suddenly serious.

"Come on Ryker," Serenity exclaimed, "We all want to visit the Capitol someday!"

"And attend the parties there," I added, "I'm sure they are awesome."

"Come on now," Ryker said, standing up to his feet, "We have Reapings to attend."

* * *

I couldn't believe that this girl, this girl with weird blotchy skin, had volunteered for a deathmatch, a freaking deathmatch. And she looked so confident too, shaking hands with the escort, smiling widely at everyone.

"Now let's choose our male tribute!"

I was glad Serenity was safe, but now I was worried about my younger brother Liam, Ryker, and myself. Of course, I wanted to go to the Capitol, but not like _this._

"District Nine, let's meet our male tribute: Malakai Youngblood!"

Oh no.

I was not ready, I wasn't ready for the Games. No…no…

"Malakai, please come on the stage!"

"*** this!" I muttered under my breath, but as I saw the Peacekeepers advancing towards me, I stepped out and started walking. It was almost as if I was in a daze, the people all appeared blurred to me, and soon I was on the stage.

"Hello Malakai, what a handsome young man you are! Do you wish to say something?"

"I like champagne."

She laughed heartily at that, and I came back to my senses. Okay, what did I just say? I felt like disappearing into the very earth, imagining what the other tributes would think later when they'd see the Reapings.

"Champagne is great," the escort replied, and then grabbed Misha's and my hands, raising them up as if were some champions.

"District Nine, give it up for your tributes, MISHA WINDOVER AND MALAKAI YOUNGBLOOD!"

 **And with that, we see the last of our tributes! I'm so glad we're done with the introductions of these amazing characters, and I'm so looking forwards to write them in the future. Please let me know your thoughts on these characters. If you go back to the second prologue, you'll remember that a tribute was introduced there, and I think you can recognise her here.**

 **Now that we have met every tribute, who is your favourite? Your least favourite? Who can you see winning it all? Let me know!**

 **Also, I got a message asking this, so I'll clarify it to everyone. Anyone can win the Games. I think you can already make out this universe is not canon compliant at all, and thus anybody can win. The victor can be from any district, any age (yes, twelve and thirteen year olds too) and from any submitter, _even if they have won in one of my stories before_. So you all have a chance, unless you're not letting me know that you're reading. How I usually select victors is that I have a few tributes in mind (5-8) and the one among them who gets the highest votes wins. That way, both you and I can be happy with the victor.**

 **And now, shout out time! Santiago . Poncini 20 and SilverflowerxRavenpaw are writing a collab SYOT called Ohana and it is on Santiago's profile. They're looking for submissions right now, and Santiago already has a SYOT going on and Silver has already written four or so SYOTs before! Do check them out as they're really good writers!**

 **If you want to read for the sake of reading, for the pleasure of reading, check out Paradigm of Writing's story Sheep Led to Slaughter. It's beautiful, and I think Paradigm is one of the most skilled writers here.**

 **And if you want to read a non-SYOT that is beautifully written, check out Voices by CelticGames4. She's a great writer, and I think you'll enjoy the story.**

 **That's it from my side! We'll have one more Rebel chapter and then the train rides, so stay tuned!**

 **Oh and not to forget, I have added predicted placements on the blog. They really mean nothing, but it's fun nonetheless.**

 **Have a great day!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Do we have any reports about his whereabouts?"

"No, Mr President. We've looking all over Panem for him, and for his associates, but have been unable to find anyone."

"Nerissa," Snow said calmly, holding a white rose and looking at it fixedly, "If you're unable to continue with this investigation, I'll hand over this job to someone else."

Vice President Nerissa Verity could barely keep herself from cringing. Oh goodness, how was she just waiting for the old man to bite the dust! He was annoying, with his calm demeanour, and constant belittling of her. She narrowed her eyes at him, unafraid, and finally he met them with his own.

"I don't think that's necessary, Coriolanus," she muttered. If first names was what he preferred, so be it. Nerissa couldn't be too bothered.

"And why is that so?"

"Because," she toyed with him, "Although there is no news about where Alan Aquila and Cress Woods are, or where Regal Winter is, there is another news that may get your interest."

"Go ahead, I'm listening."

Nerissa smiled to herself. She knew this would be news to Snow, who couldn't have imagined such a thing to happen, ever.

"Last year, three, or rather, four tributes escaped the arena."

"What?"

Snow looked up at her, surprise finally visible on his face. Nerissa smirked at him.

"Yes, Coriolanus. Now, while we know Alan Aquila was undercover there as the Head Trainer and mentor for District Seven, he alone could not have done so. He must have had help, and might not even know about it."

"Who do you think it is?"

This was what Nerissa had been waiting for. This had gotten personal for her, and this person, this traitor, deserved what he was about to get for always rejecting her advances. The bloody idiot had said that it was just the age difference that made him refuse her every time, but Nerissa knew better.

"It has to be someone who knew about the flaws in the arena, maybe even helped create it. Someone whom we all trust. And someone who is in a powerful position to be aiding these bloody terrorists."

Because that's what those rebels were. Terrorists.

"Who do you suspect?"

Nerissa smiled. This was going to be fun.

* * *

The man was one of the youngest among his team, and yet he headed them in all operations.

He considered himself lucky to have this opportunity. Matthew Hayes had a humble background; his mother was a servant at the former president, Albert Winter's residence. Matthew was born there, he had been told, but as a baby he cried so much that the president had ordered him to be thrown out as a baby. His mother, apparently having no other choice, did just that.

It was ironic how a servant's son climbed the ladder to this powerful position, particularly popular among the Capitolites, and equally famous for being notorious in the Districts. Not that Matthew cared about what labels were applied to him, he was just doing his job of being the Head Gamemaker, and he was damn good at it. After all, he had designed the most dangerous arenas, ones that forced the tributes to kill each other. The Capitol wasn't fond of mutt deaths if they were too many of them. No, everything had to be in balance.

He couldn't say he enjoyed killing, but he valued his job. It ensured that he knew what was happening everywhere throughout the country. The young man was in very good books of President Snow too, not only for the brilliant games that he organised and executed, but also for his humble mannerisms and really good looks.

And Matthew had, again this year, come up with the most brilliant arena, or so he thought. He didn't like death, nor did he appreciate gore, but he had a liking for creativity, and it all came out when making plans for the Games.

He had a meeting today though, a meeting with a dear friend, and Matthew couldn't wait to see him. it had been, after all, a decade since he met him, but was glad that he got to talk to him sometimes. He was grateful for that.

That night, Matthew Hayes left his office early. This appointment was, after all, really important for him.

* * *

"Who do you suspect?" Snow repeated, his eyes not leaving Nerissa Verity even for a second.

She smirked, and tilted her head.

"Why, it's our favourite Head Gamemaker, Matthew Hayes!"

* * *

The bridge was deserted as far as the eye could go, except for one lone figure standing there, wearing a black hood, waiting. He had been waiting for a long time, years in fact, to achieve his goal. He even died in the process, and it was the very genius Ruby Platinum Flame who had managed to clone him, to give him a new life. He owed her his life, quite literally, as he got the chance to work for his goal again.

But right now, Regal Winter was waiting for his friend, and his key accomplice in the entire operation. It had been a long time…

And then, he heard footsteps, as light as a cat's, from right behind him.

"Ah, you're here," he said, without turning back.

"How could I not?"

Regal smiled to himself, barely recognising his friend's voice. It had grown old and strong, and was quite different from his voice on the phone. Slowly, he turned around to face the other hooded man. They held each other's gaze for a while, and then they embraced each other with all the love and affection they felt for one another, friends having met after a long, long time.

* * *

"It can't be him," Snow said slowly, finally keeping the rose aside.

"And why do you think so?"

"Matthew is a sadist. He's always, _always_ looking for ways to kill the tributes, to discipline the Districts, and to punish the criminals. He often come up with creative solutions to so many problems as well."

"And don't you think that, without a person of such high information, influence and power, the rebels would find it difficult to operate?"

Snow was not liking what Verity said, but despite his dislike for the woman, he knew she had a decent head on her shoulders. If she believed something to be true, it would be wise not to ignore it. after all, Snow wanted Panem to be in complete order all the time.

"Fine," he said, "Keep an eye on him. Do whatever you want to investigate his case."

Nerissa beamed at the old man.

"Of course, Coriolanus, of course."

* * *

Regal released his friend Matthew Hayes from his embrace, grinning like a kid. Matthew, on his part, looked beside himself with joy.

"It's been so long! Goodness, I'd thought you'd died! How come you didn't age?"

"I did die, actually," Regal replied with a light laugh, "But an outstanding engineer amongst us cloned me."

Matthew's eyes widened at his words, his mouth slightly ajar, as he looked at him in bewilderment.

"So _that's_ why you're still a kid?!"

"Pretty much, yes. So, how have you been?"

"Quite good, thanks to you."

"I'm so glad you're still with us."

Matthew smiled. Of course he was still with the rebels. How could he forget what they had done for him? One of the rebels back in the day had been the one to adopt him when his own mother had abandoned him. His family joined Regal when he started an uprising, and that was when he met the boy, only slightly older than him. Even after his death, Matthew remained loyal, working hard to climb the ladder of power in order to come to a position where he could help. There was something wrong with a country if people were forced to give up their children, and Matthew had to correct it.

"I don't have much time," Regal said slowly, not wanting to end his meeting. But he was the most wanted criminal right now in the country, and being around in the Capitol was extremely dangerous for him and the mission.

"Same."

"I want you to forward this message to Alan," Regal continued, "That Nerissa Verity is about to raid the last Games' escapees' hideout, and that he informs this to Anya. She can't know that you are our partner."

"What?! How do you…?"

"I've been here a few days, found out a few things. I can't contact him myself, it was hard to get in touch with you as well. Will you do that for me?"

"Surely I will."

"Thank you."

With that, Regal gave him another hug, before proceeding to walk away. He stopped midway though, and looked back.

"And Matt, finding out the news of the escaped tributes, they'll definitely suspect you too now. Try to stay alive, please."

* * *

 **Ryder Venison (17) 72** **nd** **Games Escapee**

"The chariot rides are today," Nikona muttered as he stared at the TV, that was replaying the Reapings. I couldn't understand why he kept watching them. He had grown to be irritable, as did Roslin and Raylic. Of course, I knew it was because of being trapped in a bunker for over three and a half months, but they should be grateful that they were alive. Nobody seemed to be cherishing this thought at the moment though.

"Aye, I hope they come up with good costumes this time," Roslin muttered.

"To be honest, our costumes were pretty good," Raylic said as he too, stared at the screen.

"Okay, why did Misha volunteer?" Nikona asked, and I was myself wondering it. Why did Ajax and Misha volunteer? Had they lost their minds? Also, how did a sibling pair get chosen for District Six? Things were going in a weird way this year, that was for sure.

"Oh man, the mentors will be in the Capitol right now. The tributes arrived last night, right?"

"Yeah," I answered, "It seems they don't do chariot rides the same night as their arrival anymore."

"Maybe because the tributes always looked tired or something?"

"Maybe."

I hoped Anya or someone else would come and visit us. The other boys were getting restless, and it would be really appreciated if someone showed that they cared. Of course, our friends were all mentors, and I doubted whether they would come here, or could come here, to pay a visit.

Hence, I was shocked when the door of our bunker slid open, and Anya Ford stepped in, looking older by almost five years, and worried. I immediately knew something was wrong, even as Raylic, and poor Roslin by default, ran to hug her.

"Hi there," Nikona and I said, and he looked considerably better on seeing her.

"We need to leave."

"What?!"

"They know you're alive!" she exclaimed frantically, eyes wide in fear, "They know! Come on, we need to get away!"

There happened to be another door in our bunker, leading to a small room, where we sometimes went when were bored. Anya stormed into it, and then produced a plastic card our of her pocket, pressing it against the wall. To my surprise, the wall started coming apart slowly, until a passageway was clearly visible.

"What's all this about?" Roslin demanded, "Didn't you say they're afraid to come here?"

"They are, they are!" Anya almost yelled out, "But they know! I've already deleted all the data from the servers, and now I need you guys to get away!"

"You said this place was haunted, that's what they believe," Nikona said.

"They do!" Anya bellowed at him in anger, "But it doesn't matter, alright?! Why don't you save the questions for later? They're coming!"

"Guys, move it," I said firmly, and went through the passageway, and reluctantly the others followed. There was a switch next to the opening on the other side, and as Anya pressed it, the door became a wall again, even as lights flickered on in the passage.

It was a long white corridor, and seemed endless. I wondered where it would take us as we walked ahead, when suddenly some loud shouts were heard from behind. All of us came to a halt.

"What the-"

Anya pressed her hand against Roslin's mouth to silence him, even as the shouting grew louder.

"Come along silently," she whispered, and we continued walking. My heart was beating fast, so fast that I felt as if I had run a marathon. That had been the closest save that I'd experienced, and that included being chased by zombie kids last year in the arena.

"How did they come so quickly?" Nikona whispered.

"I don't know," Anya replied angrily, "But next time move your bodies fast when you're told to do so."

And while the others looked angry at her behaviour, I was thankful to her. Because really, she did save us in the nick of time.

 **So that was a Capitol chapter, and I hope you liked it. this also introduces us to two new characters who we've seen before, but maybe not known. Nerissa was there in Dawn of Light, and Matthew has been there since Glass Glade, although it's only now we're seeing what he is really like. The events here have happened the night the tributes arrived, and Ryder's POV was on the day of chariot rides, a few hours before it. We also know Regal is right there, in the Capitol, and let's see what he and Matthew can come up with, and how Nerissa will tackle them.**

 **I don't know whether I mentioned this before, but the predicted placements for the tributes is up on the blog! The blog is mirageoflies. weebly. com, in case you don't remember, and I'll really appreciate your thoughts on the Capitol predictions. It was fun doing that, and I think a few placements might look surprising.**

 **The next chapter we'll have the train rides, and I'm really excited for it!**

 **Have a great day!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Train Rides**

 **District One**

Welton wondered how come it was Eritine sitting across him instead of Sparcle.

After all, he was sure that Sparcle had been looking forward to this since a long, long time and then suddenly she refrained from raising her hand, even as everybody stared at her, waiting for her to do so. With Sparcle, Welton could be assured about knowing her. But Eritine? Welton knew nothing about her. He saw her a few times at the Academy but never noticed her. He wished he had, for he didn't know what to expect from her.

Eritine had noticed the frown on her District Partner's face ever since she volunteered. She realised he must be surprised to see her there instead of the stupid woman Sparcle, but she couldn't care less. For her to win, after all, Welton had to go. Unlike Welton, Eritine had noticed what he was like, and she knew he was good, and one of the threats to her own victory.

He, however, didn't need to know what was going on in her mind.

So she smiled brightly at him and proceeded to look at their mentor, Jason Grace.

"Any tributes that stand out to you?" he asked.

Welton frowned at the question. There were many, in fact, that stood out to him. He would have much preferred if Jason gave his own input first, but what could be done? So he nodded, before leaning back in his chair.

"Yes," he replied curtly, not wanting to say more than what was required.

"Really? Who do you think are the threats?"

"Definitely the ones from Two and Four," Eritine interrupted, knowing very well that Welton may not really like it, "But that's something that always happens. The one we need to watch out for is the pair from Five."

"Especially the boy," Welton cut off, "He volunteered, after all."

"Correct. And we can't ignore the Nine girl either."

"We certainly can't," Welton agreed, "She volunteered too."

"Alright. Is there anyone else?"

Eritine and Welton looked at each other calmly at Jason's question. The thing was that both of them had more names to add, but they wanted to hear their mentor's opinion first. And Jason wasn't the kind of person who would voice out his thoughts if anyone else had to say something. Eritine often wondered how he managed to win in the first place, had she been there, someone like him would have no chance.

"Well then, there are a few tributes I'd keep an eye out for if I were you. Firstly, it's Arbor. He doesn't look like much, but from his Reapings I can make out that he has a fight. I've never seen someone from Outer Districts to be so confident."

Eritine wanted to roll her eyes at that. Sure, they'd watched the Reapings, but nothing about Arbor stood out to her. Yes, he was confident. So? Many Outers pretended to be calm, composed and strong all the time. It never got them anywhere. Eritine considered Farouka, Aristaeus, Dexter and even Sylo to be bigger threats.

Welton, however, completely agreed with his mentor. His list matched that of Eritine's, but he could see why Jason was stressed out about Arbor. It was as if the guy was afraid of nothing at all, as if he was unfazed by the fact that he was going to a death match. This kind of made Welton uncomfortable, because had he not trained for so many years for this, he'd not have even an ounce of the Seven boy's attitude.

"I-" Jason started but then stopped, standing to his feet. "I'll be back in a second."

Eritine and Welton both nodded, but the girl was shaking her head. Jason always had to take bathroom breaks at wrong times, and this was another reason she found him annoying. Not that she would show it to her District Partner, of course.

And so, picking up a bowl of chocolates, she offered some to Welton.

"Let's have these while he's away," she said with a smile.

Welton tilted his head to the side slowly, regarding his District Partner, his brain trying to understand the person before him.

Or rather, why this person was before him.

"No thank you," he said, politely refusing the sweets. As expected, Eritine smiled again and put down the bowl, not bothering to eat them herself. Welton felt something was off about her, and he needed to know, he needed to know why she was here. He needed to know who and what he was dealing with.

"Eritine," he asked finally, eyes dead serious, just like always, "Why didn't Sparcle volunteer? Don't get me wrong but, why are you here?"

Eritine felt like smashing the sweet bowl on his head even as he continued to look at her for a response. But being who she was, the girl only nodded, not letting any expression other than that of understanding appear on her face.

"I get what you mean," she replied, "I'd been looking for this opportunity and was... Disappointed, that I wasn't chosen in my last year. So when Sparcle didn't volunteer, I took my chance."

Welton raised a brow. That was the question... Why didn't the chosen representative volunteer?

"But why would she not volunteer?"

"I really don't know," Eritine answered, "But I decided to grab the opportunity."

Welton looked away from her. She definitely sounded and looked genuine, but he couldn't be sure. There was something wrong with her, something that could put him at a disadvantage. He needed to know her better.

Eritine studied Welton carefully. Although he spoke less, his observations were great. She was sure he hadn't bought her story completely, and he would try to test her words later on. She had to be extremely careful of him.

The tributes from One were definitely keeping an eye on each other.

 **District Six**

Corrinne still couldn't get over the fact that she had been chosen.

The young girl was hardly able to keep her tears under control, and if it hadn't been for Aristaeus she might have collapsed completely.

Aris…

She couldn't believe her brother had been Reaped alongside her. Her little heart seemed to beat faster when she thought of it, and her breathing hitched. If they were lucky, only one of them could get out alive.

 _Relax,_ she told herself, and smiled, or rather tried to smile at Aris.

However, her brother wasn't looking at her at all.

No, Aristaeus was worried. Corrine was so young… he wondered how he could ensure her safe return. He didn't want to think about it so soon, but his mind was already churning right now. He had to make sure she could get back home, safe and sound, and in the process… Aris didn't want to contemplate death right now. He thought about Duncan, about how his little brother had been ripped away from his family. In the best case scenario, he would probably have one family member back. But what about himself? What if he got Reaped next year?

 _Snap out of it!_

It was easier to think than to do. His mind, his ever-wandering mind, could already picture his dead body, with Corrine crying over him, but he'd rather have it this way than the other way around, or to have a different scenario altogether.

Corrine wasn't liking this place. It was a train, and she had grown up on trains, but this train was… not like a train. It was fancy enough to be a mansion or something, or what Corrine thought could be a mansion. She had never seen one though, so she couldn't really tell. Whatever the case, this train didn't feel like home.

"Are you feeling alright?"

The siblings looked up at Anya, their mentor, who appeared to be beside herself with worry. She was shocked that a sibling pair had been Reaped, she couldn't recall the last time such a thing had happened, and it was painful to see the two of them looking defeated.

But Corrine, being the sweet child that she was, smiled brightly at her.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

Aris though, studied his mentor carefully. She had killed a lot of people in her Games with her wits alone, and Aris thought about how she could help him. Maybe she could give some helpful advice to Corrine in order to survive? Something along the lines 'your brother may be dying but if you see danger you run!' Aris felt his little sister could do with some practical advice like that, especially if it came from their mentor. If he would suggest something like this, she would just argue, or nod, but definitely wouldn't follow through.

"Want something to drink?" Anya asked, and from her demeanour Ari could tell that she was about to get down to business.

He was about to shake his head, but Corrine piped up.

"Yes please."

Their mentor smiled kindly at her before asking whether she'd like hot chocolate, to which Corrine nodded. Anya poured a mug out for her and Aris and handed them the drink, before proceeding to get orange juice for herself, promptly not asking any Avox to do anything for her.

"I assume you wished to be trained together."

"That's right," Aris said, nodding, cradling the mug in his hands, looking into the depths of the drink.

"Fair enough."

She took a sip of her juice, before looking at them again.

"I don't want to do this, but you must know that only one of you can get out of there."

Corrine felt her stomach lurch at this, and she started fiddling with her mug, the drink untouched.

"We understand," Aris whispered, and he set the mug down. He wouldn't be able to drink it anymore.

"One thing you need to keep in mind is that you have to look out for yourself. If something happens, save yourself-"

"No."

Anya tilted her head and looked at Aristaeus questioningly, her expression soft, and it was clear she knew what he had in mind without even looking at how Aris' fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly.

"No," he reiterated, and Corrine looked at her brother in fear, fear _for_ him, as he met Anya's gaze.

"Corrine has to be the one to win."

"NO!" the young girl exclaimed, jumping to her feet. What was Aristaeus talking about?!

Anya continued to look into her glass though, her mind gears turning. As far as she was concerned, Corrine didn't have much chance. It was not just her age, Anya didn't care about age, but the innocence that she displayed… Anya was not hopeful about her. Aristaeus though, she was confident about him. He certainly had _some_ chance in the arena, and she could build on that.

And here he was, asking for the exact opposite.

She understood his feelings though, and finally nodded. If it was Corrine who had to be supported, she would do that. But for that too, Aris would have to reach the end.

"Fine," she said, even as the girl looked at her in horror, "But Aristaeus, you cannot just give up. The easiest way Corrine can win is if you're her opponent in the final two, or if you're there till the end. You both will need a lot of training to make it happen-"

"You both can't be serious about this!" Corrine exclaimed in horror. How could they talk about Aris' death like this?! Why was he willing to give up his life?! Corrine felt like crying now, her brother mattered the world to her.

But her brother, Aris, was satisfied with the situation. Yes, he'd certainly accompany her to the end, and make sure she'd win.

There was no question of her not winning this thing.

 **District Twelve**

Something told Keegan that this was the time when he could finally think of himself, that he should think of himself, and optimism alone wouldn't do much. However, his young, wild heart had a habit of presenting everything to his brain in a positive way, and thus he could only focus on how his parents would love each other again if he won. He could already picture it, a happy family living together, laughing, playing, and not making noise. If he won, would they have any choice but to forgive each other and move on? He'd make sure that was what would happen.

Farouka though, could clearly see the situation she was. She wasn't deluded by unreal optimism, she knew she could end up dead, and the thought was so frightening that she almost cried. Almost, because Farouka knew how to stop herself from spilling her tears. Nobody wanted to associate with anybody who cried a lot, and maybe it was out of habit, but no tears fell down her cheeks. Her eyes though, were bleak, and her heart ached that her District partner was a twelve-year-old little boy, so very precious. He had no chance of survival and she hated herself for being relieved that at least one competitor was out of the Games, for all practical purposes, before they even started.

Neither of them had been able to discuss anything with their mentor properly. Keegan often zoned out, and although Farouka did a commendable job of listening to him and adding inputs, it was not much. Kole told them he'd meet them the next morning, so that their minds could be a lot clearer to comprehend what was happening. Since then, the two kids had been sitting in what could be the 'living room', not having spoken a word to each other.

Keegan had most likely not even noticed that he wasn't talking to the girl, he didn't have any friends after all to notice these things much, but Farouka was observing the boy in front of her keenly. While she admitted that he wouldn't win, and that she was kind of glad about it as it improved her chances, he was still a little boy, and from her home. And Farouka didn't want to let go of the piece of her home, she was missing it already.

Plus, the child might be devastated and might just be needing someone to comfort him.

So, she hesitantly extended her hand, and rested it on his shoulder, making him jump.

"Oh!" he exclaimed.

In all honesty, Keegan _had_ forgotten all about his District partner; he was too focused on how his family would be like after he won. It was only now that he noticed the girl, with her kind smile and pretty face.

"I didn't mean to scare you!"

"It-it's alright," Keegan said with a smile. It was only now he was realising that he was having trouble to come up with something to keep the conversation going. Although the young boy would never blame his loving parents, the lack of interaction with people was certainly causing this hesitance. But there was something about Farouka, the way she smiled or the way she looked genuinely worried about him, that made him want to talk more.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

And it was true. Keegan was feeling fine despite the situation. Farouka almost sighed; she wished she felt as fine as the young boy did.

"How about you?" Keegan asked, his voice a bit too loud than what was required, but Farouka didn't mind.

"I'm great too!" she said in an upbeat voice, "So Keegan, want to do something?"

"I'd like to! But…what is there to do?"

"I don't know… maybe we can watch TV? There must be something going on right now."

"Sounds cool!"

And with that, Farouka flicked on the television, and together the two of them figured out the controls of the remote. Soon, they were watching a film, with a bowl of wafers and a glass of lemonade each. The lead actor, his face whiter than a white-washed building, was juggling some balls in a field, and people were cheering for him. Keegan clapped loudly at it, for the guy was a good juggler, and Farouka was wondering why he was doing so in the first place. As she munched slowly on the wafers, her eyes moved from the screen to the boy next to her, who looked beyond excited when the juggler was paid huge amounts of money for his performance. Well, at least Keegan looked fine. Farouka smiled to herself, the boy looked as if he had forgotten about their situation for the time-being, and Farouka was glad that maybe she had helped.

But what about herself?

Even as she watched the juggler walk towards his home on the screen, her mind wandered to how likely she was to reach her own home. It was most probably a very small chance, and she wasn't feeling good about it. She had killed before… although she didn't want to think about it. but would it make a difference? She had already committed a crime, would it make it easier to do so again? As far as she knew, the murder had happened unintentionally, she had snapped, but could she kill with an intent to kill? At the moment she really doubted it.

Keegan was liking this girl a lot. She had chosen the perfect movie for him, and was very friendly. He thought that, maybe if he had friends, he'd wish them to be like her. And it was then that it occurred to him that maybe they could be friends after all.

"Hey Farouka?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you be friends with me?"

The girl broke into a smile and nodded, making Keegan grin broadly too.

"Sure! And let's also ally in the Games!"

Farouka didn't know where that came from, but it seemed just right. And Keegan probably thought the same, for he nodded vigorously.

"Yes, let us!"

And to that, the two shook hands.

 **Hello! These are the first train rides, and I hope you liked it! There will be three more of these, and I'm really looking forward to write them! So, what did you think of the interactions here? Let me know! Also, please vote in the poll on my profile!**

 **Have a great day!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Train Rides**

 **District Two**

Julian Arum could not stop smiling at how easy it had been.

He was on board to the Capitol, where his dreams could finally come true. He was going to win the Games and become immortal for the people of Panem, his name engraved in their memory forever. What could possibly go wrong with such a plan? Absolutely nothing. Nobody could stop him from winning that coveted title.

"I'm going to stop everyone who crosses my path," Venus muttered, and Julian almost laughed out. It was as if she had read his mind.

"How'll you do that?"

"How do you stop someone in the Games?" Venus counter-questioned almost absently, twirling her hair as she lied down on the floor of the train, a very soft pillow under her head.

Julian knew it was a rhetoric question, but in spite of himself his mind wandered to the 'only way to stop someone in the Game'. They had to be killed.

And Julian didn't want to think about that, not when he was so happy about having his chance, even if he cheated for it to happen. He would figure out something, some solution, to get involved in as little killing as possible. For now though, he was determined not to enter that mental space. He wanted to enjoy his happiness, and he wasn't going to let his District Partner ruin it. Why was she in his room anyway? Lying on the floor, using his pillow. She had not actually said much, and had refused to budge out either. She just stayed there, on the floor, twirling her hair.

"What do we do now, Julian?" she asked, sitting up abruptly.

"What do you mean?" the boy asked cautiously. He had heard that Venus was weird, and had seen enough to know it was true. But right now, the person sitting before him was quite different.

"I don't know. Our mentors will meet us tomorrow, we have the entire day to ourselves."

"It's night already Venus."

The girl looked up at him with a bored expression. What did he think, that she didn't know what time it was? Well, if she were being honest, she really didn't know what time it was, but she wasn't telling Julian that.

The truth was that she was hungry and couldn't wait for supper, and she needed a distraction. Venus needed to eat a lot even on regular days, and today she was a mildly happy day, so obviously she was in an even greater need of food.

As her fingers fumbled with her strands of hair, she took in the person sitting on the bed. He had tried to make sure she wouldn't enter his room, saying he needed rest. Of course, Venus knew he was talking rubbish. He wasn't going to rest, he was going to celebrate the success of his little stunt, and Venus had hoped that she could witness some happy little dance. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Julian had been silent, so silent that Venus had taken to thinking about her time in the Games. She had not even realised that she had spoken up that she was going to stop other tributes, and when Julian replied, she thought that she heard his voice in her head. Apparently, that wasn't the case.

"What do you want?" Julian asked in exasperation. He just wanted her to leave already.

"I want food," she replied candidly, "I'm hungry."

"Well I have nothing edible with me right now."

"I know. That's why I was thinking if you could dance for me."

"If I-what?!"

"Yeah, a nice little dance. Doesn't have to perfect or polished. Just, you know, throw your arms here and there and sway your body, and you'll be a dancer."

"Get out."

"Come on! I'll dance with you!"

"Get out Venus."

"Why?" she whined, looking at him quizzically. Why was he so worked up? wasn't dancing good for your health? It also was a way to express happiness, which Venus was sure Julian was brimming with.

"Because this is outrageous! And don't even say it was a joke. I'm not your friend that you'll joke with me."

"I wasn't joking. I was just hoping the dance would distract me from my hunger, and we could also celebrate the fact that you're going to the Games in the process. But if you don't like it, just say so. I'm not forcing anyone to do something they don't like."

And there she did it again. Julian pursed his lips as he contemplated on her words. How cunningly she had had mentioned that they celebrate _his_ tribute status. It was almost as if she was threatening him that she would reveal his secret to the people who mattered, that he had sedated the chosen volunteer and tied him up inside a closet. Julian wondered how Venus managed to look so innocent and was so cunning at the same time. He had to keep his eye out for her in the arena.

And there he goes again, Venus thought, his eyes have that lost look. She wondered what he was thinking now. Was he waiting for her to apologise? Did he dislike dancing so much that he was hurt?

Or was he trying to size her up regarding the Games?

And suddenly, Julian's handsome face broke into a wide smile. He jumped off the bed, grabbed Venus' hands, yanking them off her hair, and pulled her up to her feet.

"Come on let's dance," he said.

"What?" she asked, bewildered. What was he trying to do? Win her over for the Games so that she doesn't hurt him? She didn't plan on hurting him anyway. She was sure of one thing; his passion for dancing had definitely not been awoken so suddenly.

"Yeah. And then let's go to the kitchen. I'm sure we can find something for you to eat."

 **District Three**

Bina couldn't stop herself from trembling.

How could this be happening? She had put on a brave face earlier, probably because she was still in shock. But now, as the train sped through the country, her shock had turned into numbness, which in turn transformed to a tremble. She was so confident about her own death that she couldn't think how Ridge was able to eat so normally. She couldn't touch her supper at all, and thankfully Alexa, their mentor, didn't poke her about it.

"Did you watch the Reapings?" Alexa asked, her voice so devoid of emotion, Bina couldn't even call it indifferent.

Yes, she had watched the Reapings, and she had noted their reactions, but she was so overwhelmed that she couldn't really make any interpretations from them. Across from her, Ridge nodded.

"Anything you noticed?"

Ridge sighed. "The boy from Five looks crazy to me, to be honest."

"Because he volunteered?"

"Yeah."

"Then what do you think of the Nine girl?"

"Well, I think she must have some good reason. Maybe she needs the money. Or maybe something else. She looked that way anyway."

Bina sighed inaudibly. What was Alexa trying to achieve? Bina knew she just needed time right now. Time to process everything, and hopefully in the morning she would be ready to strategise, plan or whatever else she was supposed to do.

Ridge was aware he had no time.

Right now, although he acted all calm, the boy was dying from inside. He wanted to curl up and cry, he was missing his family, and only he knew how hard it was to breathe. But Ridge had to hold himself together, if he wanted to get out – _alive_ – from this place. He could trust no one. Not the Capitol, not the citizens, not the mentor, not his District Partner.

He couldn't really believe that both of them had been chosen for the Games. Hadn't he met her just a few days ago, mesmerised by her beauty? He was, in all honesty, still a bit distracted, but he couldn't keep doing it. He had to focus and for that he had to lie to himself that everything was okay. That he was okay.

And so, he listened to Alexa, responding as calmly as he could, fighting back tears. Ridge was sure he was dealing with this better than Bina was, and despite himself he was worried for her. Maybe he should talk to her later?

 _Look out for yourself Ridge! Only for yourself!_

"Do you both want to train together, or separately?" Alexa asked.

Both the tributes agreed that this question should have been asked first, but they didn't voice out this opinion. Ridge looked into Bina's eyes, but she didn't even spare him a glance. Oh well.

"I'm okay with either," Ridge replied, before proceeding to sip his orange juice. He really wanted to train together, just so both he and Bina were on the same page, but he wanted Bina to make the final decision. That would tell him a little more about her than what he knew already. But would she say anything? She had been silent the whole day.

"I'd like to train separately," she answered, speaking her first words ever since she boarded the train. Ridge noticed in surprise that she wasn't trembling anymore, instead she had a very slight smile on her pretty face.

"Oh!" Alexa exclaimed, surprised at the change in behaviour as well, "Well, uh, alright. I'll see you both tomorrow then. Ridge, meet me in the morning just after breakfast. Bina, we'll talk just after lunch. Cool?"

"Yeah," they both answered, and suddenly their eyes were locked on each other.

Bina wouldn't have snapped out of her numbness had it not been for Ridge trying to make her decide how they were to train. She knew enough about people to know this was done to study her, and for a moment she couldn't even believe that her District Partner, the sweet boy who had seemed so nice was already plotting. But who was she kidding? Hadn't he paid attention to Alexa, to the Reapings, to almost everything, since the beginning? But if this was how it was… she had to play along.

And now, she had started eating her supper too, aware that she was being watched by the other tribute. If he could remain calm, she could too. No matter how she felt right now, how much she missed home. She had to get back to them.

Neither of them even noticed when Alexa had finished eating and had walked away into her own chamber. They kept eating, until their eyes locked again.

"How're you feeling?" Ridge asked.

"Not the best. You?"

"Same."

With that, he set his spoon down and looked at her squarely in the face. To Bina's surprise, tears started rolling down his cheeks as he averted his eyes. His shoulders were shaking as he cried silently, and in just the next instance the tears stopped, although his face was very red and eyes were puffy.

She didn't know why or how it happened, but her hand grasped his and squeezed it gently, holding it. Ridge smiled, feeling better after crying, and squeezed her hand back.

"It's just strange that we both got Reaped days after meeting," he laughed.

"Well, yes. It's really strange."

And Ridge was the one now holding her hand, after she had eaten. Bina was a little taken-aback, but she didn't brush him off. They didn't let go of each other's hand even as they stood up.

 _Look out for yourself Ridge! What are you doing?_

 _Bina, he's probably trying to manipulate you._

 _But she was not taking it well. Maybe she still isn't. I just can't leave her._

 _But those tears were real, the pain was real. Maybe he really isn't taking things as well as I think he is._

Their rooms were in front of each other's. They stopped. Ridge was reluctant to let go of her hand. But that's what he did, gently releasing it.

"Good night Bina," he whispered.

"You too, Ridge."

 **District Seven**

Monroe had heard that Julius Adrian had been a good and caring mentor, but he had been replaced by this weirdo Gaztro, another trainer at the Training Centre in the Capitol. He had talked a lot, but nothing that could interest her, and there was something about him that Monroe couldn't even bring herself to say a flirtatious line. For one, he licked his plate, quite literally, and that disgusted Monroe.

She was glad supper was over, and that her District Partner had graciously decided to let her into his room. He even let her lie down in his bed, but to her dismay, he himself settled down in a chair, not even bothering to look at her.

"How're you dealing with this?" Monroe asked. She didn't allow herself to think about the Games with respect to herself. She couldn't, not now when she had to deal with it. No, she would focus on Arbor, who was flicking through a business magazine. She didn't understand whether he could actually understand what was written in it, and why it was in the tribute room to begin with, but she was getting annoyed now due to lack of response.

"Are you deaf or something?" she demanded. Usually Monroe wasn't someone who got annoyed easily, but there was something about Arbor that made her tick. She remembered how he had smiled in the Reapings. A lot of tributes pretended to smile in order to come across as brave or grateful, but if one looked closely, the fear and sadness and shock would be there. Arbor, however, had smiled as if he was amused, and had continued to smile that way during their meeting with Gaztro, and even now.

Arbor was trying to control his laughter so hard, he could hardly absorb what he was reading. Monroe was amusing. She had turned up at his door in shortest clothes possible, and entered the room with a wink that conveyed a lot of things, but the boy chose to be oblivious to her attempts at getting him. In fact, he found it so funny that he thought about playing along just for the sake of it. But he was too cool for this nonsense, so he returned to his magazine.

It wasn't as if Monroe wasn't pretty, but right now, he thought of her as petty. The poor girl was in denial, which would probably make her death easier for her.

"Can you hear me?"

The boy looked up at the girl, who was sitting in a weird pose, possibly trying to attract him. it was so stupid that he burst out laughing. For a second, Monroe was confused as to what was so funny about her words, but when she noticed that he was laughing _at_ her, she quickly sat up properly, face turning the colour of beetroot at the embarrassment.

"I don't know about deaf," the boy continued, "But I'm definitely not blind."

And with that, he started chuckling again.

"Enough!" Monroe exclaimed, "Who do you think you are?! Laughing at me!"

"I never said I was laughing at you."

"Who else is there for you to laugh at?"

"I never said I'm laughing _at_ someone or something. You assume things, ma'am."

While Monroe fumed in rage at the audacity of this boy, this very proper-looking handsome boy, a thought crossed her mind. Maybe he had gone bonkers at the thought of his inevitable death. That must be it.

"You don't have to be afraid."

"What?" he asked, puzzled.

"I'll look out for you. Maybe you'll make it to the top ten."

As Arbor understood what she was trying to say, that amused smile crept back on his face. So, she would protect him? That was a kind offer, maybe he could do the same for her. Most likely they would both be dead anyway, and it didn't matter whether you died second or twenty-second, you were dead regardless.

It was a lot to deal with.

But Arbor had never truly…valued his life. It wasn't as if he was upset being alive, that he wanted to die, but losing his life wouldn't mean much to him anyway. After all, one couldn't really miss anything after dying, could they? It was amusing, however, the manner his possible death was presented to him.

"What are you smiling at?" Monroe asked.

The boy was annoying her now, with that stupid smile. He was weirder than Gaztro, and suddenly she was feeling a little afraid. What if he was insane? A psychopath? Murderer, maybe? She didn't really know him, and right now she felt stupid to have approached him like this. Monroe got up quickly and started for the door, but a strong hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, and soon she was in Arbor's very tight embrace. His hand stroked her hair and she could feel his heartbeat. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to get away. What was happening?

"I'm not feeling well," he whispered as his hand rested on her mid-back, "This is a lot to take in and I-I'm sorry for being so strange towards you. I know you must be as disturbed as I am."

She let him speak, because it was only now that he sounded so genuine, and without even realising it, she was hugging him back. She didn't know this person, but he was from home.

The two held on to each other, running their hands in each other's hair. Arbor gently released himself from the embrace, and to Monroe's surprise, gave her a peck on the cheek. He stepped back after whispering 'good luck' in her ear, and Monroe turned around and left the room, blushing hard. This was the first time she was speechless, and maybe she had thought wrongly about the boy. He seemed decent and genuine when he had embraced her. She could still feel the warmth of the hug, because it was probably the best hug she'd had, as if received from a friend.

Arbor closed the door and locked it, the amused smile back on his face. Maybe his stunning District Partner needed that hug, and maybe she felt better. He was glad about it as he wasn't exactly against her. She was nice, maybe, and he had no intention of hurting her. If telling her that he was scared too gave her any comfort, despite his words being a lie, he was glad. It was also good that he might have manipulated her a little bit, which could be beneficial later.

Chuckling quietly to himself, he put out the lights, ready to go to sleep.

 **Hello guys, long time no see. How're you all doing? Things are hectic, so it took me a long while to get this out, but it's finally here. Let me know your thoughts on this chapter. Has your opinion changed on anyone in this chapter?**

 **Also, the poll is still open on my profile, so if you haven't voted, please do so.**

 **Have a great day!**

 **PS: I've missed you all a lot.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Train Rides**

 **District Eleven**

"You have a great fashion sense!" Cornelia, the escort for District Eleven, exclaimed.

"Thanks hon," Dexter replied, his smile as flashy as his clothes, "Watched a few of your videos on TV. Got inspired and all."

"That's good to know! You know, if you win, you should consider designing."

Dexter's somewhat elevated mood deflated on hearing her words. _If_ you win… That was a very big if right there, and Dexter suddenly wanted to punch Cornelia. These people had absolutely n right to mess with other people's lives. And that too in a way that could lead to… death.

It still seemed like a foreign concept to him. Yes, he had grown up in Eleven, which basically translated into everything bad and unfortunate, and yes, it had been over seventy years of Hunger Games, but he just… couldn't believe it was happening. That death could be so close.

"Anyway kiddos," Cornelia asked, her voice high and shrill, "Would you like to watch the old Games?"

"No," Dexter said at once, not caring what impression that left of him.

"Yes."

The boy jumped at the voice. He had not heard it before, and when he turned to look at the source, he was surprised that it was his District Partner. Raiza had not said a single word ever since they got on the train, which was a big thing because a whole day had passed since. And when she did decide to speak… it was because she wanted to watch the Games? This was ridiculous!

Probably she was just shocked, Dexter told himself sagely, probably she was trying to process everything.

Unknown to him, Raiza had done all the processing of her situation long before he did. And for the past one day she had been observing him. He was witty and strong, but scared all the same and wouldn't really make a useful ally. Not that Raiza wanted an ally in particular, no she'd rather be alone than get attached, or worse, to have people know _about_ her, but it was always good to know if someone was dependable enough to make use of if she ever landed in such a situation.

Right now, she'd prefer taking a look at the key moments of old Games, just to refresh in her mind the mistakes that brilliant tributes made to get killed. She could feel Dexter's eyes boring into her, and she turned to him with a small, weak smile, before looking at Cornelia again.

"Alright, I'll play the footage," the escort said brightly and started fiddling with the controls of the TV.

"Why do you want to watch it?" Dexter whispered to her, "People will be dropping dead in those videos!"

"I guess playing it would distract Cornelia and she won't bother us."

"There must have been other ways to do that than to watch children die!"

Raiza glanced at him again, but didn't answer this time. She just shrugged ever so slightly, making sure that her scarf was in its place, hiding the tiny camera. She should have had chucked it at the Justice Building, and that was exactly what he had been about to do…until she saw the camera. Raiza had paused then, for if her act was caught on the Capitol's camera, she would be doomed. And so, she was on the train, with her camera.

That was part of the reason she was eager to watch the old Games.

Dexter couldn't make out the girl sitting next to him. She was a kid, just twelve, and yet she looked… how would he put it? Unafraid? No… more of calculating? Discreet? Maybe she was just shocked? He couldn't tell, and the girl was a mystery to him. he did not have the time to delve on that though. As he smoothed out his flashy polka dot red trousers, he couldn't help but wonder about the platform the Capitol could provide for his talent. He was a natural at designing, no doubt, even Cornelia thought so.

That might be the case, _if_ he won.

And he would have to do that, there was no other option.

While Dexter pondered over his dark future, Raiza stared at the TV screen in front of her wordlessly. It was a video from the Seventieth Games, the Feast. Levi had just been killed because he cared for his ally, Tawny. And that love and friendship, it drove Tawny over the edge and she brutally murdered Demetrius, another tribute. He was a crowd favourite, if Raiza remembered correctly. Anyway, the development in Tawny had been like something out of a fiction, and just when she was grieving her friend, Charles emerged out of nowhere, killed her and fled the scene, leaving the only Career left, Victoria, alone among dead bodies. Raiza frowned. In the alliance among Levi, Tawny and Cody, none of them won the Games, and all the three died brutally. All the three of them were good people, caring, and true friends.

True friendship would get people nowhere in the Games.

That much, Raiza already knew, but this video just refreshed the finding in her mind. And the other thing that led to downfall of nearly invincible tributes?

Overconfidence.

Because that's how Victoria died, as Raiza watched calmly, Victoria was burning to her death. She had dragged out her fight with Charles to 'have fun' and that gave the psychopath the opportunity to kill her, and that too in a signature move; by setting her ablaze. Charles had neither been overconfident nor did he get attached; he was a psychopath and that was what aided him to live.

Raiza was not going to make the mistakes that these tributes had. She knew she was not the strongest or the smartest, something that put her at disadvantage, but she also knew that in the arena, there was only one person she had to look out for: herself.

And Dexter was getting more and more nervous about the kid, because she was watching a girl getting immolated without even blinking once. What could have happened to make this girl this way? Dexter shook his head.

"It's shock," he said to himself, "It's definitely shock."

And although Raiza heard him, she didn't say anything. He could believe that she was in shock.

 **District Five**

Sasha was pleasantly surprised.

Both his tributes were physically strong, if their muscles were anything to go by. Sure, he hadn't interacted much with them, but he did know a little about Audrey. She had repaired his sports car quite efficiently, and while he had not really met her, he had seen how good she was. And Ajax… well, he didn't know why he volunteered, but it seemed he _could_ pull it off. Sasha was hopeful this year, to say the least.

But the two tributes hadn't really talked much, if at all. Audrey was glaring at both the men, fuming in anger, probably a result of her shock and fear. She stared daggers especially at Ajax, who sat calmly and confidently, having watched all the old clippings and this year's Reapings, and was thinking now. Audrey didn't know what he was thinking about, but she wanted to punch him in the face. Who in their right mind would volunteer?! Was he insane? Was he a psychopath?! Audrey didn't know. In fact, she didn't admit it, but she was scared of this man. This quiet, silent man. He had this aura around him, as if he was dangerous. Maybe he was a drug dealer. Audrey gasped. Or maybe he was a _murderer!_

"What happened?" Sasha asked on hearing her gasp.

The girl thought about telling him what she thought but when she saw Ajax quietly appraising her, she changed her mind and scowled.

"I am _Reaped_ , that's what happened," she exclaimed angrily, "And you're not doing anything!"

"I guess you zoned out, Audrey," Sasha replied calmly, "Ajax and I had _just_ discussed who he perceived as threats-"

"Yeah but you didn't include _me_!" Audrey fired back. She wasn't going to admit she had zoned out.

Despite himself, Ajax was amused. The girl had not bothered to talk to him, and whenever he had turned to look at her, she just looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. She was strong, and he was sure that she had a chance at winning too. Now, if she had been trained, District Five could even count on her. Looking at the fiery girl further assured him that he was right to volunteer. Five _needed_ an Academy, just like the Careers did. How many countless lives would be saved this way! it wasn't that Ajax liked the Games; if the Games could be abolished it would make him really happy, knowing that innocent people were safe, that society was safe. But it wasn't the case right now. Things would change when he would win, _if_ he would win.

At the moment though, he watched as his District Partner and mentor bickered, and he was surprised as Audrey jumped to her feet and raised her hand to slap the other man.

"Audrey."

The girl had been not taking this well, being Reaped and all, and then her mentor was quarrelling with her! She couldn't take his immature behaviour anymore, and was about to slap him for bothering her, when Ajax called out her name in his strong voice. He did not shout, or panic. In fact, his voice had been pretty low, but when she looked at him… she saw him looking back quite dangerously, which made her lower her hand.

"Thanks man," Sasha said as he grabbed Audrey's shoulders and pushed her back into her seat. He himself moved to another chair, out of the girl's reach and sighed.

"I wanted to thank you, for repairing my car."

"That was _your_ car?"

"Yep."

"Well, it was the worst junk I'd ever had to repair."

"Thanks anyway."

Ajax leaned back in his own seat as the mentor wiped his brows. The two males looked at each other and finally Sasha asked what Ajax knew he would.

"Why did you volunteer?"

Ajax didn't answer straight away. He made himself comfortable in his chair and then held Sasha's gaze, a small confident smile on his face.

"I wish to turn District Five into a Career District."

And as expected, Audrey gasped aloud. The girl finally decided to look at him properly, and didn't turn away when he looked back into her eyes. Ajax could see the distrust in her eyes, the disdain and the disgust. So… she thought he wanted to create killing machines? So be it. Killing machines survived anyway, and in case of the Games, also kept their society and loved ones protected. Ajax stood by what he was doing, and was sure that his District would react the same way initially. He had to be prepared.

"You're mad," Audrey whispered, "This is ridiculous!"

And it was. Audrey had expected the answer to be a lot of things, but not _this._ So that's what he meant when he had said that he was volunteering for the good of District Five? Seriously? She couldn't believe that she was stuck with an insane man for a District Partner!

"That… is actually a very good reason," Sasha said slowly, looking at Ajax, a soft smile on his face, "A very good reason indeed."

"Thank you."

What are you saying?!"

And with that, Audrey jumped to her feet again, looking from one male to the other. Were they both mad?!

"It's hard to understand," Sasha replied, then spoke to Ajax, "You've taken a really dangerous step though, so I hope you are somewhat trained?"

"I am."

"I won't ask how that happened, but my advice to you would be to seek out an alliance with the Careers."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Ajax smiled.

"But don't show them _everything_. Just let them know you're physically strong, and they'll come to you by themselves. Let them do that, don't approach them yourself."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ajax nodded. Sasha was right, now he thought about it. If he sought the Careers, he would come off as desperate, when he was anything but.

"So, you are a Career now?" Audrey asked sarcastically.

She was feeling scared of this boy, and she was not one to be intimidated easily. There was something about him that was off, and he looked eager to join the Careers.

Probably eager to commit some murders.

"Audrey," Sasha proceeded, "I think you should go alone at this."

"Of course I'll go alone!"

"And try not to make enemies, please."

She clenched her fists. So, he thought that she would go around making foes? She wasn't a fool! On the other hand, Ajax glanced at her just once. She would definitely try to stir up some trouble for him, he just knew it.

Well, she could try, but he would be winning this thing.

 **District Nine**

"Oh man, I always wanted to stay in the Capitol, but in _this_ circumstance? Never!"

"Have you been to the Capitol?" Misha asked, surprised.

"Yes! It's a gorgeous place, a dream city to be honest. District Nine looks like a garbage dump next to it."

Misha believed his words. District Nine wasn't that great anyway. Or any district, for that matter. How could a place be great if they sent children as tributes to be slaughtered?

 _Not that it matters,_ Misha thought, _It will be better if you end up being slaughtered anyway. I bet Shizune hasn't even forgiven you._

She didn't voice anything though, and smiled brightly at Malakai. The poor boy had been trying to be funny, quite unsuccessfully, ever since they met, and Misha pretended to be engrossed in the conversations with him. But honestly, it was hard, partly because she couldn't stop thinking about Shizune, and partly because Malakai kept on rambling about all the parties he had been to. Misha was _not_ interested in partying, or anything actually. She attempted to keep up with the conversation anyway, smiling and chuckling wherever she deemed fit, and Malakai apparently didn't even know she had zoned out.

But Malakai _did_ know that she wasn't paying attention, and he didn't care. He wanted to talk and she did listen to him from time to time. He briefly wondered why she volunteered, and although he initially entertained the idea that she was probably a fugitive, he dismissed it now. The bubbly girl couldn't be a criminal. It must have been money; it was always money. In the lower districts, people were ready to throw their lives aside for money. It was sad, but what was sadder was that he was here, on a train to the Capitol, in order to fight kids. Malakai was _not_ looking forward to killing, or his time in the arena. And so, he had to talk, because that was the only thing that seemed normal right now.

"Would you like some wine?" he asked pleasantly to which Misha let out a laugh.

"There's no wine here, Malakai," she said.

"I'll get a bottle for you," the boy replied.

"You will?"

"Yes. Would you like some?"

"Absolutely!"

"Cool!"

Malakai stood up with a grin and walked out of the car, possibly to the kitchen. Misha wondered how the Avoxes would react when Malakai would walk in and demand a bottle of wine.

 _Well, at least you can have expensive wine before you die._

Misha laughed mirthlessly. She didn't even have it in her to hope to win. What would be the point anyway? What was the point of living? What was the point of _anything_? She was suicidal, at least the Games would make sure she died in style. That would give her bragging rights in afterlife, wouldn't it? _If_ there was an afterlife.

Malakai soon returned with the bottle. He had played Misha with that; the bottle was just in the cupboard and tributes could very well have it, but since she didn't know that, there was no point in telling her. She smiled brightly as he approached, and thanked him as he poured out a glass for her. He settled down.

"Cheers."

"Cheers."

 _To a certain death,_ Misha thought and sipped.

"So why did you volunteer?" Malakai asked, his eyes looking at her kindly. Her vitiligo still interested him, but he didn't ask anything on that. Misha seemed nice till now; he didn't want to upset her unnecessarily. He did need to know why she took such an action though.

"For my friend," Misha replied as she set down the glass with a sigh.

Malakai raised his brows but didn't say anything, silently prodding her to continue.

"I love her," Misha replied, and words just started spilling out, "She's deaf and mute and she couldn't protect herself and I couldn't let her die! And anyway, me not being around wouldn't bring that much of a difference to anyone anyway!"

Malakai was, quite simply, shocked at this confession. Was she not well? Was she…depressed? Suicidal? Or maybe she had a hero-complex? Why else would she sacrifice herself for a friend? Who on earth did that?

Misha was just realising the mistake she had made. She had blurted out a lot, words that she should have kept in. why, oh why was she _so_ dumb?! Always messing things up, always saying what was not to be said! What would Malakai think now?

"There, there," Malakai said kindly, rubbing her shoulder, "Don't think that way! I'm sure your friend appreciates your gesture."

"She does," Misha replied, her statement sounding like a question, and she cursed herself again.

"She sure would," Malakai said and smiled, and then raised his glass of wine, sipping it again. Misha repeated the action, and the two sat quietly.

Misha looked at her District Partner, and smiled to herself. She had expected more questions, maybe even regarding her vitiligo, and had been bracing herself for bullying all this time. But he was nice, he didn't bother her at all. She was glad he was there with her.

Malakai though, was thinking differently. He had hoped that she was strong, but she looked anxious and depressed, despite her bubbly and energetic exterior. He had been planning to ask her to be his ally, but not anymore. she could turn out to be a liability, and he couldn't afford that.

The two sipped their wine in silence.

 **Hey there! The third train rides is here, and there's just one more to go! Let me know what you thought of this and about the tributes featured here. I'll try to get out another update whenever I can, thanks for reading. If you haven't voted on the poll on my profile, please do so.**

 **Also, I have a discord server for my stories. In case you're interested to join, PM me and I'll send you the link.**

 **Have a great day!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Train Rides**

 **District Eight**

Charles did not know what to think of the tributes in front of him, but he did know that they were close. It could mean that it was a coincidence, or that they were rigged into the Games. As he twirled the small knife in his hand, apathetic eyes moving from one kid to the other, he wondered what they could have done to get rigged, if that was the case.

Rebecca, on her part, was trying hard not to pay attention to the psychopath in front of her. Her mentor unnerved her with his weird behaviour of stuffing himself with candy and holding his knife to his lips. She had not seen him eat any food, ever, except for chocolates, and despite herself she started arranging his candy bowls in a symmetrical circle. She could feel his cold eyes on her but she didn't pay him any heed; she had a lot on her mind. The fact that she and Max, who was looking out of the window at the moment, were Reaped together was too big a coincidence to overlook. Rebecca understood that they had been rigged, and soon the entire picture fell into place. The Peacekeeper… he must have bugged Max's home sometime. She didn't know whether he did it when he had come to inform them to mow the lawn or when he came to check whether they had done it. She frowned as she was left with one bowl of candy but nowhere to place it as it would disturb the symmetry. The Ray Cat Solution… Did the Capitol understand what exactly it was? The answer to the question was like the bowl of candy in her hands; she had no place for it. She was going to the Games; she had to move on.

Charles yanked the bowl from her hands and dug into it, balancing the chocolates with his knife and eating them, and Rebecca wished he could take away her problems just as easily.

The Ray Cat Solution was the single most important project in Max's life. The amount of effort and dedication he had put into it… and it was all going to be wasted. He clenched his fists as he gazed at the beautiful scenery from the train; how could he be so unlucky? How could he be Reaped? He had never taken tesserae and so he shouldn't have much of a chance to be chosen. And yet… Well, a small chance was all that was needed. A 0.02 probability was still possible. And that's what Max was betting on. There was a small probability that he could get out alive, and even if it was minute, it was still there. He didn't believe he would win, but he didn't believe that he wouldn't either. It was a large playing field. But Max was glad that Rebecca was with him. The two worked together in a formidable manner. Together, they both stood a chance to get out.

 _I want to get out alive._

He liked Rebecca, and if he didn't make it then he would prefer it to be her, but Max was a realistic kid, with realistic desires, and right now that realistic desire was to survive at any cost.

"…Max?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts. Rebecca had been calling him for a while now, and he joined her, sitting as far away as he could from their mentor, who was licking his chocolate covered knife now.

"Rebecca," he said, "Something the matter?"

Rebecca sighed; she had not breached the subject of them being rigged to Max. she didn't know how to go about it, and that was honestly a rarity.

"How close are you exactly?" Charles asked, finally looking at them, face impassive.

"We're best friends," Max replied.

"Isn't it ironic how two best friends got picked together?" Charles continued as he picked up another bowl of chocolates, breaking Rebecca's perfect symmetry and annoying her.

Max frowned. What was he implying?

"Quite a coincidence," Rebecca agreed, and her blood chilled when the mentor turned to look at her, grinning like a young, happy kid, eyes gleaming in a maddening way.

"I'm going to ask you this then," he continued as his eyes travelled to Max, "What exactly did you two do?"

"We didn't do anything," Rebecca replied smoothly before Max could say a word. No way was she going to tell a stranger about the Ray Cat Solution, and Max was incredibly honest, so she didn't trust him to keep it to himself.

Not that Max was going to tell him anyway; it was his secret, it wasn't supposed to be shared. His resolve was firm regarding this.

"Rebecca, you spoke too soon," Charles muttered, "You both have been rigged."

"What?!" Max exclaimed in shock. This couldn't be right! Why would they be rigged? _Nobody_ knew about any of his projects!

"I'm afraid he's right," Rebeca sighed.

"But how…?"

"The Peacekeeper, Max."

And then realisation dawned on him. the Peacekeeper, he had visited twice. He might have easily bugged the whole place…

Max's blood started to turn cold at that. How could this happen?! How could he be so careless as to not take that into account? But on what ground did the man bug his house?

"What have you two done?"

"Nothing," Rebecca answered adamantly, not willing to tell Charles anything.

Charles shrugged and continued eating his chocolates, ignoring Rebecca altogether, annoying her even further. The knife in his hand scared her though, and she bit her tongue.

"We were working on a solution," Max replied slowly, making Charles look at him fully.

"Max-"

"Rebecca, there's no point in hiding it from him."

And so, Max told Charles the entire truth about the Ray Cat Solution, and it did kind of worry him as the other boy paled with each passing word. In fact, he had kept his knife and bowl of chocolates down by the time Max had finished talking, and that reaction reinforced in his mind that they had, in fact, really been rigged.

"You are doomed," Charles sighed, and that made Rebecca's eyes flare. They hadn't wasted valuable time telling him the story to hear that! Max, on the other hand, sighed, already calculating the probability of his survival. It seemed less likely now.

"Thanks for saying that. We didn't know it," Rebecca retorted.

"Well, I guess I can try to help. The only thing you guys need to take care of is that you don't let your secret slip. I'll try my best to arrange sponsors for both of you, but there are things you both need to work on," Charles said and leaned forward, "Max, you are quite honest… it's a trait that's sadly not rewarded in the Games. You need to learn how to lie. And Rebecca, your problem is that you don't pay attention… the way you're doing now."

Max turned to look at his Partner, and although she looked as if she was listening to their mentor, her eyes had a distant look. She had indeed zoned out, for Max knew that by now she would have retorted to Charles' comment had she been listening.

"I'm assuming you'll work together, and that will be suitable for you. Don't make other allies."

Max nodded. He wasn't gong to do so anyway.

Nobody else was going to know their secret.

 **District Ten**

Sylo just wanted to disappear from the train.

No amount of luxuries, food and comfort was enough to bring him out of his stupor, and the realisation that he had to kill _again._ He couldn't forget the other times it had happened, while stealing, and had a hard time forgiving himself. He wasn't even sure that he had pardoned himself. And now, _this_? Murder for survival?

 _The others might be readier than I am._

It was probably true. They might not have killed before; they might not know the guilt and might be willing to do so. Well, he kind of did envy them. Had he been innocent, he would be devising strategy to survive too, instead of moping in guilt. It was making it difficult for him to think clearly.

Junova had no such problem though, and she was stuffing her face with candies, sitting in her room. June was angry that she had been Reaped, angry enough to shout obscenities at the Avox who had been serving her dinner last night. He was at fault though, he had dropped her wrap. _Her_ wrap. It had infuriated June, and she didn't care that her mentor and escort had glared at her coldly for that. She didn't care about that.

What she did care about was that she had spotted an exquisite emerald pendant with Aurelia, her escort. Oh, how she flaunted it! But June knew how stupid she looked with that makeup caked on her ugly, plastic face, and it was an insult to the pendant to adorn her hideous body. June clenched her fists, setting the candy bowl down. That woman had tried to sentence her to a potential death. She had to be punished.

Plus, she was itching to get her hand on the beauty.

And so, June stood up slowly, a plan already forming in her head. Aurelia didn't deserve that pendant.

Sylo was surprised to see June emerge out of her room with a gentle smile on her face. As far as he was concerned, the girl had gone out of her way to avoid him and the others on the train, especially after their mentor told her off for yelling ruthlessly at the Avox, going as far as to almost hit him. Sylo was wary of the girl; there was something about her that was dangerous, and it scared him to think that he did see her as a potential victor. He wondered whether she would have qualms about killing the way he had.

Aurelia looked up as June entered, and frowned. The girl had a problem of misdemeanour and she couldn't help her; after all, June didn't want help. Therefore, Aurelia was pleasantly surprised to see June sit down elegantly next to her, smiling in a guilty way.

"I'm sorry for my behaviour," she said smoothly, her tone still as brazen as before, without a hint of softness, "I understand that you really want to help us out. So, what's the plan?"

"Apology accepted," Aurelia said haughtily, throwing her hair back, the pendant resting peacefully on her. To her credit, June didn't look at it once, and beckoned to Sylo to join them.

The boy was confused to see the change in June's behaviour. But he was even more perplexed when he slipped on a silver glass, crashing into the table with all the sweets, and making a mess of himself.

"Oh my goodness!" Aurelia exclaimed and ran towards him, before slipping down herself, landing neatly on her face. Junova helped her stand up and then rushed to Sylo to help him to his feet too.

"Etiquettes are what you have to work on!" Aurelia cried out angrily, her sharp voice straining Sylo's ears.

The escort walked into her room to change, seeing as she was splattered with molten chocolate. Sylo exhaled slowly; he himself was a big mess at the moment.

"That was neat," he said softly, making June stop in her tracks.

"What?"

"You rolled that glass so that I would slip on it," he continued as June raised her brows, "And I think your plan worked out just fine."

"What plan?" June asked quickly, clenching her fists tightly inside her pockets.

"To steal the pendant, of course."

June's eyes widened at that. How did Sylo know that she had stolen it? Did he see her in the act? But he was in such a mess at the time!

"I saw you tuck it inside your pocket."

"Oh."

What else was there to say? June didn't like this; if her District Partner caught her so quickly, was she really as efficient as she thought? June was heavily relying on her thievery skills to make it ahead. But now…

"What are you going to do with it?" Sylo asked.

He was honestly impressed with the neatness and efficiency with which the act was carried out. In one instance he knew she was a professional thief, if such a thing existed. They could work together, if she wanted to.

June pulled out the pendant from her pocket. It really was a beauty, and in any other circumstance June would have kept it instead of selling it in the black market. Right now though, this belonged to a person who had put her in this ordeal. She walked slowly to the window, opened it, and chucked out the pendant, surprising Sylo, who had thought she would keep it.

"You don't know anything about this," June said threateningly.

Despite himself, Sylo smiled.

"About what?"

 **District Four**

Sagittarius frowned at the male tribute sitting in front of him.

He wasn't supposed to be there. He hadn't been chosen. And yet, Atlas looked to be at so much ease that Sage felt as if was the chosen one all along. He and Haley had not breached the subject, but Minerva had exclaimed just as they got on the train, "When were _you_ chosen?"

And she was still surprised with his presence. But it was something about Atlas that she found unsettling. It was nothing on the exterior; Atlas had a really gentlemanly demeanour, to put simply. But his eyes… maybe Minnie was looking too much into this, but his eyes reflected that he was fake.

Atlas didn't have a positive impression of the girl either. Ever since she got on the train, she had been trying on different dresses and accessories and shoes. What the hell did she have the shoes? It was almost as if she was devouring them, all the high-heels, and that kind of behaviour disgusted Atlas. She was not fit to be a Career, and it made his blood boil. Someone like _her_ had been chosen by the trainers, but they hadn't picked _him?_ He didn't let it show though, smiling brightly as Minnie showed off her new dresses from time to time, pretending that he was attracted to her. She was attractive, he guessed, but not to him. Not to him at all.

"You're both joining the Careers, right?" Sage asked, not knowing where to start the conversation. It was his first time mentoring, and the fact that _at least_ one of them would die already made him dizzy. He fought off the sickness and smiled encouragingly at the pair.

"Yep," Minnie replied, grinning. She didn't want to put much stress on Sage; everyone knew he had gone into a depression after his love died in the Games he was in, and Minnie was considerate about that. It was also partly because Haley had told both her and Atlas to cooperate well with him as he was nervous.

"Certainly," Atlas answered.

"That's great!" Haley said, "Sage and I were also thinking that maybe you two should also have an alliance with each other. In case the other Careers decide to turn on you, you can have each other to make it further into the Games."

"My entire alliance had turned on me," Sage added wisely, cringing inwardly at the memory.

Atlas smiled at the newest victor. Haley and Sage had a point; they could ally. But the problem was that Atlas wasn't willing to do so, not with someone like Minnie. Had it been someone tougher, he might have considered it.

He probably didn't know how tough Minerva was.

The girl shook her head at the suggestion. It wasn't in her to go along with something just because they had suggested it when she was against it. Atlas spooked her and it was already hard not to say that out loud.

"Uh, no offence to either of you, but I don't think I'd be doing that. An alliance within an alliance is a good idea, but Atlas and I don't have that kind of a rapport."

It never occurred to Minnie that Atlas had the same idea. She rolled her eyes when he spoke though.

"I would have loved to work with you, Minnie, but I will respect your wishes."

How fake could anyone possibly be?

Sage and Haley exchanged a look, a lot of unsaid words passing between them. Finally, Haley looked at Atlas firmly.

"Why did you volunteer?"

"What?" he asked, taken aback.

"You heard me."

"Because _everyone_ wants to volunteer! And since Triton didn't show up-"

"Why didn't he show up, Atlas?" Haley asked, her eyes digging into his own.

"How would I know?!"

"You volunteered in his place."

"Yeah because he didn't do so! Why would I let go of my chance?"

"Makes sense," Minnie agreed, "There were other people rushing there as well. Nobody wanted to give up on the chance."

"Exactly!"

The mentors said nothing to that, and turned towards Minnie.

"Sage will mentor you and I will mentor Atlas."

Minnie frowned at that. Sagittarius was new and not in the best state of mind. Why was she being given a mentor like him, who didn't really know how to go about it? Did they already prefer Atlas? But she saw no reason for that. She was a chosen volunteer, chosen for her dedication, her toughness, her strength and her smarts. While Atlas had also certainly trained hard, he must have lacked something that the trainers had been looking for. She wasn't being judgemental, but she trusted the wisdom of the Academy trainers, and if they thought that Atlas lacked something, then he did. And yet, the two mentors were placing their bets on him? And she was given an inexperienced victor?

Atlas wasn't happy with the decision either. He didn't like Haley, she was too observant, and could easily figure out that he might have a special interest in District Ten. Plus, Sage was quite attractive, and Atlas cursed himself for thinking that way. He was here for revenge on District Ten (that had sent pretty unimpressive tributes this year he might add) and to make his life with Darrius possible. There was only person for him, one love, and nobody else.

"Can't we have it the other way around?" Minnie asked.

Atlas smiled to himself; she asked all the questions he wanted to, making things much simpler for him.

"I'm afraid not," Haley said firmly, her hand clutching a very nervous Sagittarius' arm, "This is how it's going to be."

Minnie bit her tongue and looked away, thinking of Michelle, about how important it was for both of them that she won. She had no ounce of faith in her mentor, and she would let him know that. However, she did acknowledge that he was a new victor, and could probably get her sponsors. Suddenly, she felt exhausted. She wanted the train ride to end already, and meet the other Careers. The pair from two looked particularly interesting to her, and she was eager to meet them personally.

Atlas had quietened down too, his mind wandering to Triton's murder, and he imagined the District Ten tributes in his place one after the other. Oh, how he would love to watch the life drain out of their eyes! The thought made him smile slightly, and he coughed lightly to hide how he felt. The District Ten tributes… they were fresh meat.

He couldn't wait to punish them already.

 **Hi everyone! Hope you've all been doing well. This is the last train rides chapter, and fun parts will begin soon! I had a little difficulty writing this chapter, and I have no idea why, but I hope it isn't too bad. Once again, I'll remind you that there's a poll on my profile, and you should go vote if you haven't already. I will take it down before the next chapter. Also, I have a discord server, so you can PM me if you want to join. Let me know your thoughts on this chapter.**

 **Have a great day!**


	15. Chapter 15

**District Thirteen**

 **Cress Woods Jr (29) Victor of 60** **th** **Games/ Rebel Escapee**

The room was electrically lit, the walls white without any kind of decoration, bare. There was a lone twin bed right under the ceiling fan, and I couldn't have expected anything better here. In all these months, this gloomy, clinical room couldn't be my home, nor could this District, with its regulated clothing and underground settlement.

I was lying on my bed staring at the fan, thinking about the time when Alan and I had been kept captive by Snow. We were both on the run now, and I was probably the only victor in hiding, but nothing else could be done. I couldn't help but recall the time when they used to drag me from my cell, tie me to that daunting bed and electrocuted me till I fainted. Or when they would tear open my shirt and whip me and cut me. The memory still brought tears to my eyes, but I still believed Alan had it worse. He was repeatedly assaulted while in captivity, but unlike me, he never screamed, he never cried. He remained silent even when they used him and tortured him, and now my tears were falling freely.

I hadn't noticed that the door had opened and my roommate had entered, only to slither onto the bed next to me. Alan covered himself with the blanket, and I turned to look at him, only to see him look back at me. He always wore full sleeves ever since we escaped, and tried his best to cover himself up as much as he could. I blinked as fresh tears brimmed in my eyes. He didn't deserve to live in the fear of being touched again, nobody did. The Capitolites would pay for this.

His calloused hands gently wiped way my tears and I smiled at him. I was the one to put in the request that we should be given the same room and only one bed. No, weren't together or anything, but we had nightmares, and it was nice to hold your friend during such episodes.

"The secret source at the Capitol has informed Regal that Nerissa knows that last a few tributes escaped. Anya is going to move them immediately, before the chariot rides."

"Damn!" I exclaimed, "How did she know?!"

"No idea."

I sighed; that was a big secret, and I had no idea how Nerissa could have found out. That operation had been carried out really well, and we had secured those tributes, our friends in one of the safest bunkers. I didn't know where Anya would take them next, but I hoped they'd be fine.

"Do you know where Regal is?"

"No," Alan sighed, "He just messaged me twice in all this time. Otherwise, I interact with this 'secret source' using coded language, and he messages me the same way."

"Do you think we know the source?" I asked. Of course, I was kind of sure who it was, since he had helped us escape in the first place, but I could have been mistaken.

"Who else can it be?" Alan replied, "It's him alright."

Matthew Hayes was one of the people I had thought would be least involved in everything that was happening. He was cold, calculating, and made the deadliest traps for tributes. He made sure that most of the deaths in the Games were by tributes and not mutts. And yet… here we were. He was helping us out for a reason I was not aware of.

"Coin is getting impatient," Alan whispered and I perked my ears, "She wants to know who our source is."

"Should we tell her?"

"Regal has explicitly mentioned not to tell her anything about it. She doesn't even know a lot of our leaders, and Regal intends to keep it that way."

"Makes sense."

And it did, because neither of us could trust Coin. We were grateful to her for taking us in and giving us refuge and we were happy to help in her own analysis and plans, but I couldn't find her to be trustworthy. I was sure Regal, despite being a clone, felt the same human emotion towards her.

"By the way," Alan said and grabbed a cushion, only for it to make a noise of human flatulence, and he looked at me with exasperated yet amused eyes even as I started laughing heartily.

"Honestly Cress?"

"It's always fun!"

"How did you even _get_ a whoopee cushion in the first place?!" he asked and hit me with it playfully, making it go off again.

I laughed, falling back on my own pillow. Pranking was _always_ fun, and this was so classic that I had to try it.

"I asked Opal to give me one."

And that was it. Opal was Ruby's elder sister who had died over a decade ago, but had been cloned back just like Regal. She had been living in District Thirteen for the past three years, and was a brilliant engineer, extremely resourceful, albeit a little bloodthirsty. She was so resourceful that she could get me anything I asked for, whether it was some fancy food or some video game or anything, and nobody knew how she did it.

"I should have figured," Alan rolled his eyes.

I put my arm around his shoulder, grinning broadly.

"Let me treat you to a movie, darling. Opal arranged for that as well."

And I winked, earning an exaggerated sigh from him.

I just wanted him to be at peace right now, because he deserved that and a lot of happiness. I would work on that too, but now it was movie-time!

 **The Capitol**

 **Sagittarius "Sage" Ryans (19) Victor of 72** **nd** **Hunger Games**

I remembered walking down this very hall, full of Capitolites, on the night before my Games. There had been a party that all tributes were required to attend, and I cringed inwardly. Why on earth had I volunteered? Because I was bored? Sometimes, I couldn't believe I was _that_ dumb a year ago. And my stupidity had made me a murderer, it had made me fall me love, and it had made me lose that love. I was an idiot alright.

Things had changed for me since that night, for the worse, but now when I entered the grand hall, full of beautiful Capitolites, fancy food and lots of alcohol, I couldn't help but wonder if I belonged there. My hands were shaken dozens of times already, but I couldn't register anyone's name or face. I was hoping to find someone familiar, who would be as uncomfortable in their posh clothes as I was in my suit, and then my eyes spotted Anya, looking beautiful yet tired. She waved at me, looking at ease in her thigh length dress and high heels, and soon I was hugged tightly.

"Sage!" she exclaimed, "It's been ages!"

"It certainly has," I said, smiling at her, and put my arm around her, resting it on her mid-back as she put hers around me as well, and we started walking forward, trying to avoid the masses. The tributes would be coming soon for the parade. This year, they didn't hold it the same day as when they would arrive in the Capitol, because apparently it tired out the tributes.

"So, how's everything going?" I asked casually.

"Just about fine. Since I'm mentoring, I have to take a break from shooting films."

"Sounds about right. It seems you're overworking though, you look exhausted."

"Oh yeah, I've been working hard," she replied meaningfully.

 _Working hard as a rebel._

"Have you seen anyone else?"

"Not really," I sighed, "Haley isn't feeling well, so she's resting and will come down later. I don't know about the rest."

"Oh man, I wish C W was here! He brightens up everything!" she exclaimed.

I missed Cress too. He was such a jolly guy; he could uplift my mood immediately, I knew it. Goodness knew where he was, all I knew was that he was safe. That should have been the only thing to matter, but I really wanted him here now, with me. That would have been a great comfort.

"Oh, there's Chip!" Anya exclaimed and practically dragged me over to the fake psychopath, who was here again in his pyjamas. He was, as usual, eating chocolates, steering clear off alcohol. Charles grinned when Anya reached him, and I was certain for a second that she was going to throw her arms around him, but she stopped herself, and settled for pulling his cheeks as if he were an adorable kid.

"Chippy!" she said sweetly and Chip immediately offered her chocolates, which she did accept, and then he offered me some as well.

"Sagey!" he cried out in high pitched childish voice, almost making me cringe, but I managed to smile anyway. I couldn't accept the chocolates from him though; something about his public demeanour just repulsed me. In private, I had no such issue.

It was then he noticed that my hand was still on Anya's back, and she was wearing a backless dress, something that I noticed just now, and I saw Charles narrow his eyes just a bit, but then he was his normal self, or rather, abnormal self again. I quickly withdrew my hand, and I saw a tiny smile form on Chip's lips, before he started devouring chocolates again.

"Goodness Chip!" Anya muttered softly so that nobody could hear her, "You'll get diabetes or something if you continue like that!"

"Nah."

Just then, I saw that the media was approaching us, and Chip slithered into the shadows. Anya picked up on the cue and turned to me.

"So, Sage, your tributes must be ready, right?"

I gulped, not wanting to talk about it. what if I failed as a mentor? What if they both died? Could I live with that?

"Uh, yeah," I replied, shaking myself out of those thoughts, "They're quite well prepared, the way Fours are supposed to be."

"That's great to hear! I've got a sibling pair, and I guess I do have some hope for the older one, you know?" she said.

"Excuse me?" the media guy asked, "Can I get a picture of you two?"

"Oh sure!" Anya said before I could refuse, for I was in no mood to get clicked.

"Chip, do you want to join us?" I asked the boy, and I noticed the media guy step back hastily in fear.

"Nah. Chip will only join chocolates!"

"Well, I guess it's just the two of us then," I said and wrapped my arm around Anya's waist as she did the same, drawing closer. Her skin was smooth under my touch, and I moved my finger absently over it, not noticing what I was doing, and we both smiled for the camera. It wasn't until the media guy had left that Anya turned towards me, an inexplicable look on her face.

"What was that?" she asked softly.

"What?"

And she must have thought that I had been nervous, which was very true, and dropped the topic, distancing herself slightly from me.

Neither of us brought it up.

She awkwardly turned towards Charles, who was looking from her to me back and forth, his hand frozen in mid air with the chocolate in it.

"Oh goodness Charles! It was nothing, he was just holding me for a picture! Now go and stuff that chocolate in your mouth."

And Chip did just that.

And Anya, who I had thought would be furious with me for touching her, took my hand in hers and smiled.

"Don't be so nervous Sage. You'll do well. Ultimately, it's up to the tributes whether they win or not. We can only get them sponsors and guide them, and I'm sure you'll do them both excellently. And don't ever touch me like that, it was so ticklish."

And I exhaled slowly, glad that she'd forgiven me for my weird behaviour, and that she was understanding enough. I pulled her in for a hug, keeping a respectful distance and she smiled back brightly even as I felt Chip's gaze on the two of us. It didn't matter though; I was already feeling better.

"Chip, I guess I'll have a chocolate after all."

 **Aye, a filler chapter! It was great to write Cress and Sage again, it already feels like a long time. So, Cress and Alan are alright in District Thirteen, and poor Sage is stuck at a party right before the parade, his first party ever since he became a mentor. I really liked writing this chapter, because it featured all the victors of my previous stories in this series (Cress from Surviving the Sea, Charles from Glass Glade and Sage from Dawn of Light) and I think it's kind of cool. Do let me know your thoughts on this chapter.**

 **Also, do let me know whether you want a chariot rides chapter next, or a different kind of tribute interactive chapter instead? Like, I was thinking of writing a scene where the tributes join a separate party after the parade. So let me know which one you'll prefer, and I'll write that.**

 **Have a great day!**

 **PS: I mentioned all the stories up there to advertise them in order to encourage you to take a look. XD**


	16. Chapter 16

**Post Parade Party**

 **Junova "June" Parkers (15) D10F**

The Chariot Rides had gone smoothly, far smoother than I had expected it to be. The Capitolites loved me; I had received over a dozen roses, and why shouldn't they? I couldn't die in the Games, in fact this must all be a joke. That must be the reason we were all ushered to this large, grand hall, the largest enclosed space I'd ever since, with the most dazzling lights, the most mouth-watering dishes and the most gorgeous ladies and gentlemen.

I was still dressed in my chariot outfit, a long flowing gown, rippling like soft grass, looking like personification of a meadow. I was quite surprised by how well my stylists had designed my gown, and add to that the fact that I had stolen a nice little ring of ruby. I guessed I would keep it and take it home after all, after this vacation ended.

The other tributes were also there, mingling with each other, and Aurelia, my escort, suddenly appeared beside me out of the blue.

"I'd suggest getting to know other tributes and talking to other people here. Believe me, they're all influential folks, and you would miss a great opportunity if you don't impress them."

Impress them? They must be already impressed, I told her, and showed her the roses I had received, but she seemed so indifferent that it irritated me. Still, I didn't bring that up, and smiled, nodding at her suggestion, and looked around for people who looked stupid enough for me to encourage them. Encourage them for what though? I didn't know, but I had to give it a try.

And there I saw them, a slightly overweight couple who looked extremely pleased to be there, and I walked up to them with a grin, my heels clicking on the floor.

 _Don't snap at them. And don't steal._

"Good evening," I greeted, and gave them a very stiff bow. It was already getting hard to keep up this persona, but I had to do so anyway.

"OH MY GOODNESS!" the woman exclaimed, her eyes popping out, mouth forming a perfect 'O', "IT'S JUNOVA! HONEY I'M YOUR _BIGGEST_ FAN!"

I smiled awkwardly as she threw her arms around me, and I was just hoping the little witch wouldn't suffocate me. I could feel my cheeks burning and I desperately needed the air, and the man looked so shocked and happy he couldn't get over the fact that I was meeting them.

Enough was enough.

"Let me go, you ***."

The woman released me, looking perplexed and hurt, and I realised what I had done. Shaking my head, I smiled at her, trying to think of something to get out of this mess.

"How could you say that to my wife?!" the man exclaimed.

"Because I love her!" I replied enthusiastically, "In District Ten, we talk a little crudely with people we love, it's just in the genes. I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry for that."

"Oh!" the couple exclaimed, and a relaxed expression washed over their faces, and the husband continued, "It's all good, you ***, it's all good."

I could feel myself turning red with each passing second as the abusive word passed through my ears. If only they were there in Ten… I would show them their place. I clenched my fists tightly and grinned, already imagining how punching them would feel like. Bliss. That's what it would be.

"*** you, my homies!"

And that was it; I couldn't tolerate hurling and taking abuses anymore, and I shook hands with them, bowed slightly, and excused myself.

That had been the definition of torture.

My eyes scanned the area, locating the beverages counter. I could do with some cool drink right now, and so I started walking towards it, passing tributes who were chatting with Capitolites, Capitolites who were asking everyone for a photo or an autograph, and tributes who remained in the corner. It was then I felt a hand gently rest on my shoulder.

"Excuse me, I think you dropped your ring."

 **Atlas Cian (18) D4M**

The girl from Ten, Junova I thought her name was, looked at me in panic as I held out the ring. It was a nice ruby one, something I was certain she couldn't have been able to afford. I didn't question her about it though, and was surprised when she snatched the ring and turned on her heels to walk away.

"A thanks would be nice, you know?" I muttered just loudly enough for her to hear me, and she spun around, her eyebrows raised, and I smiled brightly at her. She looked like a feisty one. It would be really fun to hunt her down, a worthy prey.

"Go to hell," she said, and then mimicked my own smile, "Please do have some wine on your way there."

I chuckled to myself as she turned around and walked away again, brushing past another tribute.

It was this person who caught my attention, because he was downright gorgeous. Tall, handsome and well-built, I recalled that he was from Five. And goodness, he looked even better in person than on the screen.

Despite myself, I was gravitating towards him, who was speaking with a bunch of Capitolites, shaking hands with them, smiling, and handling himself really well. It was just the aura around him, telling everyone he was string, competent, reliable.

"Hey there," I called out to him, but even as he glanced at me, I was surrounded by Capitolites as well.

"Oh Atlas! I can't believe I'm really seeing you!"

"I'm your biggest fan!"

"Please shake my hands once, _please!_ "

"It's good to see you, I'm hoping you'll win this."

And my hand was being shaken, I was being pulled in for hugs, and there was this woman who insisted I autographed her wrist, which I did. She was honestly so ticklish that I felt like piercing her with the pen, but impulses had to be controlled at this point.

"Well, I hope you do consider sponsoring me," I said brightly, smiling at them all.

"Definitely! What weapon do you prefer? I'll make sure you get that?" the woman who had asked for the autograph inquired, and she looked so genuine that I didn't know what to do for a second.

"Oh goodness, you are _so_ kind, ma'am!" I started, "I appreciate any and all kinds of help! But if you _must_ know…I'm particularly good with a bow and arrow."

The small crowd 'oohed' and 'ahhed' at that, and the woman smiled a in a teasing manner.

"I can see you being good at it, especially because your arrow hit me in the heart!"

The line was so cheesy that I felt like gagging, but that would result in me losing a valuable sponsor. And so, I forced a big grin on my face, accompanied with a wink, and all those people sighed in contentment.

"I'll definitely get you a set," the woman said, and gave me a hug, and slowly all the Capitolites left Ajax and I alone, and he was wearing a very slight, amused smile, making him so much more handsome. I exhaled.

"So, I was hoping to have a word with you," I said in a friendly way.

"Oh, really?" he responded.

"Yes. But first, I'm Atlas, from Four. Nice to meet you." And I brought forward my hand. He took it, his grip strong and sure.

"I'm Ajax, from Five. Pleased to meet you too."

"So, Ajax, I saw that you volunteered. People from Five usually don't do that."

"I had my reasons."

"I see."

And I was seeing him properly now. He had a large burn scar on the left side of his head, probably from years, and my eyes went down his well-trained and muscular body. It probably made him uncomfortable, and so he stepped back.

I couldn't let anyone know I liked guys; a manly man wasn't supposed to do that.

So instead of telling him what I really thought, I smirked at him.

"You'll do well with Careers," I said slowly, "You're strong and I think you can handle your own. So, do you want to join us?"

He gazed into my eyes with such intensity that I looked away for a second.

"Well, I've heard a lot about how the Careers desert their allies…"

"That stage will be later," I replied, "But it will come. It's unavoidable, and you know that."

"Yeah, I do."

And then he nodded.

"Sure, I'll join you, if your teammates don't mind, that is."

"I haven't really met them yet," I answered honestly, "Let's go and talk to them now itself."

"Sure, let's go."

 **Welton Luxor (18) D1M**

All around me, the tributes were either mingling with the Capitolites or having their dinner alone. There was this little boy, probably from Twelve, who was beyond excited to be surrounded by the Capitolites, who all pinched his cheeks and gave him pecks on them or just hugged him. The stupid boy was having trouble talking, as to _what_ he should talk about, but the Capitol residents didn't mind. All they cared about was that the boy was cute.

I was sure that none of them were going to shed a single tear when he died.

To think of it, I had managed to make a lot of 'fans' for myself too, people who acted delighted to have met me. Honestly though, who would be happy to meet a person like me? I was certain that in spite of promising me gifts during my time in the Games, because apparently they were 'rooting for me', they would forget all about it once they stepped out of the party hall. Humans had a tendency of forgetting their promises, and I was sure the people who met me were no different. Yes, tributes often had sponsors, but would anyone sponsor me?

I chose the farthest corner of the hall, sinking in the shadows, not willing to meet anyone else. I was tired of people and I wanted nothing more than to slip into my room, and take off this gem studded suit, because apparently that represented my District the best.

 _Maybe you should go introduce yourself to your allies._

But I just didn't want to do that, to talk to anyone, because obviously they would ditch me the first second they could, and while I tried to convince my brain that this was normal, that everyone was here to win or survive, it didn't make the anticipated betrayal any better. Maybe tomorrow, when I would be more comfortable and we would be training. Maybe then I could go around acquainting myself with them. Right now, I didn't even feel hungry. I thought about Alvar, my trainer and adoptive father. He must be proud today when he would have seen me on the TV. I was hoping that he would be proud anyway, not I had done anything to warrant it yet. I so wanted to win for him…

It was then I noticed two boys and a girl walking towards me, and it took all my will power to not leave immediately. I recognised the boys to be from Four and Five, and the girl to be from Two. I exhaled slowly; I might as well meet my 'allies' now.

"Hi!" the girl called out, one hand raised in greeting, other hand twirling her hair. It must have been an elegant braid earlier, but it was messy now due to what she was doing to her hair. She must be an immature girl, childish and probably unconcerned. I was certain we wouldn't get along. The boys, well, the Four boy looked so arrogant, which he must be, and the Five boy appeared to be confident and, well, boring.

"Hello," I responded, and nodded at them.

"I'm Venus, from Two, and these are Atlas and Ajax. Pleased to meet you!"

"Welton."

The three of them exchanged looks and then Atlas spoke, "Well, I'm sure you're joining the Careers, and we thought we should take in Ajax in our team too."

"That's fine."

"Oh."

Venus stared at me for a second and then waved as she signalled the other two to go with her, muttering something about meeting the other Careers. I leaned back against the wall as they disappeared into the crowd.

Well, here was to hoping that nobody else would disturb me.

 **Ridge Aqram (18) D3M**

I was pleasantly surprised to know that quite a few people here already knew me.

I was repeatedly getting song requests from Capitolites, and Bina, who kept her distance from the crowds surrounding me, smiled lightly to herself. She looked a little better now than she had been on the train, but hadn't spoken much anyway. She was handling herself well though, and even talked to a few potential sponsors.

A lot of people made promises of helping me, and I didn't know whether they would stick to this or not, but I was hopeful. We'd been told that this party was arranged specifically so that tributes could meet each other and the influential sponsors too. Whether they would help depended on the tribute's demeanour, and I hoped they liked me and Bina. I shouldn't be so concerned about her, but I was and I could not help it at all.

The dinner had been delicious, dishes that I'd never seen before, alcohol flowing freely, and I helped myself to some. Bina was nearby too, and it looked as if she was reaching out for a glass.

"You're underaged," I said and winked.

"I was reaching out for the sherbet."

I chuckled.

The party had ended too soon for my taste, and in a while I was back on my floor with Bina, when my thoughts hit me again. I had forgotten during the party that I was a tribute, and that I would probably die. This shouldn't have been happening…

I felt heat inside my chest, and I could feel my cheeks burning. How could they do this to us? Year after year _after year?!_ They had all looked so normal, so human… how could they live with the blood of so many children?! Why did they have to arrange parties, provide comforts, when ultimately, they were going to snatch our lives away from us?! Who gave them this right?! Somebody had said it right; monsters lived within ordinary human beings.

"Ridge?"

Bina was looking concerned as she eyes me. I realised she was almost near our suite, and I was frozen on the spot.

"Yeah?" I asked, trying to tear away from my thoughts.

"Why have you turned all red?" she asked as she started moving towards me.

"I'm fine."

And I gave her a wide smile, which failed to convince her that the statement was true, and I could see it on her face. She didn't push it though, and gently nudged at my arm.

"Come on."

The suite was big, and that was an understatement.

There was a large living room kind of thing, with lavish curtains, soothing decoration and the most comfortable couches, along with the largest TV I had ever seen. It led to two rooms that were beside each other, our rooms, and a kitchen. There was something like a bell in almost every corner, probably to call an Avox if the need arose.

There was also a man there, and he looked quite… normal, for Capitol standards. He was smiling, and I immediately stepped between him and Bina.

"Who are you?"

"Relax!" he said, his voice smooth, "I work here. My job is to make sure that our tributes are well looked after. My name is Augustus, and I'm here at your service. You can ring the bell by the door, and I'll be here in a second."

"O…kay?"

"I've been instructed by Mr Matthew Hayes to provide you with these special night caps to ease your sleep."

And with that, he pulled out something that looked like a beanie, two of them. They had a metallic lustre, and I immediately knew I wanted to steer clear of those.

Maybe Bina had the same thought, for she spoke up coldly, "We're pretty comfortable, thank you."

"Oh, but I've been _instructed_ to make sure you wear these, so that you can be fresh and active every morning!"

And just like that, he shoved the beanies in our hands, bowed, and showed himself out, leaving us really bewildered.

"What _was_ that?" I asked.

"No idea. He was in a great hurry."

The two of us looked at each other, and then at the mysterious beanies. I sighed; if it was the instruction directly from the Head Gamemaker, I'd have to wear it, however suspicious I was about its purpose.

"Good night," she whispered.

"Good night."

 **Hello everyone! This is the first pre-arena Capitol chapter of the story, and I hoped you enjoyed it! Since you guys messaged me saying you'd prefer a party chapter, I decided to do just that. This is the first time in my verse that tributes interacted directly with potential sponsors, but since this is their first day in The Capitol (technically not because they arrived the previous day), they may or may not have been able to capitalise on the opportunity, and I don't remember whether this provision was there in canon or not.**

 **So, what did you think of this chapter? And the characters? I feel as if I didn't write them really well, because it's been a while since I gave them their own POVs, and I feel so especially for Junova, so if something was missing, or different, let me know. Also, I'd really love to hear from you what you think about the beanies, as in, what their actual purpose is? Is it really just to ensure they sleep well or is it something else?**

 **Have a great day!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Training Day One**

 **Farouka Qadri (16) D12F**

"What do you think it'll be like?" Keegan asked as he and I descended in an elevator, down to the training hall where we were supposed to gather.

"Well, I don't know for sure," I replied, "We'll have to see. But it's going to help us, and we have to try our best. Okay, Keegan?"

"Oh cool!" he said, and then sighed, "I just hope they don't scream. Noise is kind of unbearable."

"Don't worry, most likely they won't."

I seriously hoped they wouldn't. Keegan had told me everything regarding his family, how they were always screaming and how he so wanted them to be happy, to have a perfect family. Earlier, he had been a little hesitant but then everything slowly came out, and I just wished that he'd have the greatest time of his life here, at the place that was about to take it.

Quite an irony.

But Keegan had been popular amongst the potential sponsors, and I had some great conversation with them too. It had felt weird to be without my scarf, and in a miners overalls at such a party, but I had a good time. The fear and rage had subsided during that duration, and the strange beanie had made sure I slept well. In fact, I couldn't even remember when I'd last slept so well.

The elevator door slid open, and the two of us stepped into an endless hall, filled with people and weapons and other things. This place had an aura of its own, an aura that was intimidating, and I shivered slightly, adjusting my scarf to stop my fingers from trembling.

Now, just be calm and confident.

It was not that easy though, especially since Keegan clutched my hand tightly, probably feeling as nervous as I was. I locked eyes with the One boy, and while he did nothing at all, I still looked away, trying to find something I could work with.

Nobody seemed to care about me, and for some reason that upset me. Why was nobody approaching me? Was I not likeable enough? Or was it because of Keegan? I glanced at the innocent boy and sighed; Keegan liked me enough to be friends with me, at least.

"Come on," I told him and ushered him towards the poison making station. It was better to start off with something I could learn more easily instead of a weapon anyway, and Keegan had no objections. On my way there though, I bumped into a handsome blond guy, a little girl walking with him.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, "I didn't see you there!"

"It's alright," the boy replied, wearing a sad, small smile.

"Yeah, you're good!" the little girl chirped, and I could see she was faking enthusiasm, for who on earth could be enthusiastic at a place like this? I was certain the guy, I remembered him being her brother, had trained her to act all jolly. Was she trying to be likeable? If she was, it was working, because I just couldn't help smiling at her.

It was Keegan who looked uncomfortable, from years of being alone and friendless, but the little girl stuck out her hand for him to shake.

"Corinne Salazar," she said with a grin.

My friend hesitated, and I nudged him gently. We exchanged a look and I whispered to him, "It's okay."

And he believed me. He shook Corinne's hand eagerly now, and I followed him, before offering my hand to the boy.

"Aristaeus,' he said, and his grip was firm. Something about him seemed to calm me down, and I felt like knowing both the siblings better. They looked so different, not in features, but in feeling. Corinne looked like a bundle of sunshine and Aristaeus just gave the vibes of being dependable... And in this situation, dependability mattered a lot.

"We'll see you during lunch time!" Keegan said, "Farouka says we should start learning about poisons and such."

And with that, Keegan started pulling me away. I wanted to stay and talk to the siblings, but I guess training was more important.

And so I started walking away.

 **Aristaeus "Aris" Salazar (17) D6M**

Farouka appeared to be a simple girl, nice enough to get along with, and somebody who didn't deserve this. But honestly, did Corinne and I deserve it either? Things were unfair, and sadly, that was something that couldn't be changed.

But no child should be exposed to it, no child deserved to have their innocence robbed from them for I knew how much that hurt. The memories of my father selling my body started creeping back, and I slapped myself lightly. This wasn't the time to get down that track, this was the time to save Corinne. And this was the time to protect the innocence of the little boy who was walking away from me; Keegan Devlin knew nothing about this world. And Farouka... She really seemed to care for him.

"Hey, wait!" I called out, and Corinne looked at me, confused. Farouka and Keegan looked as perplexed as her.

"Yes?" Farouka asked softly.

"I was wondering whether you two would like to join an alliance with the two of us. I think we can help each other, and the kids will safer too."

"Oh...!"

"Really?" Corinne asked me, "That'll be so cool!"

"So you guys want to be friends with me too?" Keegan asked, his tone betraying the wonder he felt. Friends... The poor kid was really innocent.

"I..." Farouka started, "I'm okay with it. How about you, Keegan?"

"I'm cool with it too!"

"Splendid!" I smiled, "Meet you guys during lunch then, the table right in the middle."

"Won't we be overheard there?"

"I don't think so. Most people around us will be busy talking."

"Cool then!"

And with that, the two of them walked away, Keegan turning around to give us a wave that Corinne and I returned.

"I didn't know we were going to get allies," Corinne muttered.

"We need them to get you home."

"Stop it Aris!" she whispered angrily, "We're not trying to get me home, we're trying to get one of us home! I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself!"

"Corinne-"

"You mean the world to me Aris! Do you think I'll be able to live without you?!"

"Let's not discuss it now, not here."

And I drew her in for a hug. She huffed but reciprocated it anyway.

"Come on, we need to get stronger," I whispered, ruffling her hair. She nodded obediently and I scanned the area. I decided we should first run on the tracks to warm up, and then maybe try a weapon, not that either of us could learn anything in such a short duration, but we had to try anyway.

It was then that I noticed a few things.

The girls from Nine and Three looked really different, probably having some skin condition. The Nine girl, Misha perhaps, was quite enthusiastic, trying to learn everything. I remembered she had volunteered. Goodness, maybe she would be with the Careers. Her enthusiasm looked forced though. Maybe I was looking too much into this.

I saw that the Careers had started gathering by the fencing station, the Five boy with them, and the Two pair missing. There seemed to be something going on there, the One pair was just too quiet and plain, the Four boy looking around, and the Four girl, who was wearing really makeup, was talking animatedly to the Five boy, who on his part, was a good listener.

The elevator opened, and I was surprised to see the Two pair emerge from it, seeing as they were late, and the boy was looking mad at the girl, who was giggling. I could tell why he was angry, his hair had been spiked up so well that they were literally pointy enough to intimidate, and it seemed as if the girl was behind it.

Corinne sniggered.

The boy shot us an exasperated look and I was sure he had chosen her to be his target. My blood turned cold at that and I drew my sister closer, but the boy only sighed.

"Venus, you've made me a laughing stock!" he groaned.

"Let's go, Corinne."

And with that, I pulled my sister towards the tracks.

 **Audrey Delacroix (18) D5F**

The mess hall was crowded.

I stared down at the porridge that was in front of me, lying untouched on the white plate. It had been really hard to find a table where nobody was sitting, but the noise from the chattering of the other tributes was irritating regardless. What on earth were they talking about? Weren't they like, going to kill each other in a few days? What was the point of being friendly? I scoffed. How did people manage to be so fake?

 _The fake are the ones who survive_.

I hated myself for thinking that way, but it was the truth. The Careers, who were brutes, ended up winning this thing usually. They pretended to be so nice, so human... It was disgusting.

And my District Partner, that insane man, had joined those brutes. I looked at him bitterly as he conversed with Four girl. The idiot didn't know that his allies would be the ones to turn on him. After all, the Careers could be loyal to nobody.

I dug my spoon into the porridge, but I didn't feel like eating. In a few days I could be dead. Knowing that... How the hell could I have an appetite? Yes, I needed strength, but that couldn't force me to be hungry. I pushed away my plate in frustration, and the fact that so many of the tributes were freely talking to each other was getting on my nerves now.

As if that wasn't enough, a guy slammed down his plate in front of me and sat down, grinning broadly.

"Hope ya don't mind."

And with that, he started eating.

Well, I did mind. I had chosen this spot because there was no one sitting here. There were a lot of free spots. Why couldn't he sit with the other tributes? I wanted to tell him to choose some other place, but bit my tongue. Dexter Noults had not done anything to bother me too much. Not yet, anyway.

"So, I'm Dexter," he said, bringing his hand forward. Okay, I took back my words. He was here to bother me.

I didn't take his hand, and instead turned to my plate again, the uneaten food looking back at me. I didn't want to eat, but I took a spoonful of it anyway, ignoring the boy from Eleven altogether.

"They shouldn't really have porridge for lunch," he continued, oblivious to my own annoyance at his presence, "I mean, they've made this delicious, but it's a breakfast item all the same. Although, I've heard that there's a pasta counter somewhere here too."

I kept eating, paying him no heed.

"The party last night was amazing! These people here are all so dumb, haha. And they all said the same thing, 'I'm your biggest fan!' Like, honestly, that was so stupid."

 _Get lost. Now._

It was taking all my self control to not snap at him. He was just unable to take the hint that I was not interested in talking to him! He was rambling about fashion now, and I could feel that my head was about to explode. I wanted to punch him in the face and shut his mouth with a duct tape, but he was so unaware of it that he kept mumbling, and soon he had finished his porridge while I was not even half way done.

 _Good. Now leave._

And it was painful when he simply leaned back in his chair, a content smile on his face.

"Ah, I guess I'll try that pasta in a while too."

He looked at me with a smile and then asked, "Would you like to be my ally."

"No."

This was my first word to him, and I could feel the angry heat in my abdomen. Why couldn't he take the hint and leave?

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm not interested. Also, please get lost and choose some other table to finish your lunch."

"You're nobody to tell me where to sit!" he said angrily.

"To hell with you!"

And with that, I picked up my half eaten lunch, dumped it at the soiled dishes counter, and stormed out of the insufferable mess hall.

 **Eritine Hadron (18) D1F**

The tributes had started leaving the mess hall, but our group stayed back looking at each other. I glanced at Ajax as he watched the other tributes leave. He was strong, almost as strong as a Career, and that wasn't good news.

In fact, none of my allies was good news.

They were all strong, confident, and I had seen how the Capitolites had flocked around them last night. They had their sponsors in their back pockets. I didn't find Minerva and Venus to be very impressive, but first impressions may not necessarily be the right impressions. I had to keep an eye out for all of them.

"Should we recruit more tributes in our alliance?" Julian asked, looking at each of us in turn.

"I say we do," Atlas replied while Welton nodded.

"Who do you have in mind?" Minerva asked.

"How about the girl from Ten?" Atlas said smoothly, and I frowned. The girl from Ten, as far as I remembered, was only fifteen, a mere kid. Why would he want her with us, the Careers? There was something suspicious about it, and I had to find that out. It might be too crucial an information to not have.

"Why her? – VENUS I'M WARNING YOU!"

I sighed, letting out a chuckle. Venus had styled Julian's hair in really pointy spikes... And was playing with them, setting him off. The other Careers laughed too as Julian freed himself, got up, and settled down beside me.

"So," I started, leaning forward, "Why Junova, Atlas?"

"She's feisty," he replied, "Plus, she's quite resourceful."

"Really?" Venus asked, twirling her hair.

"Yes. She stole a ring from the styling room. I mean, I'm sure she did that. And nobody's caught her."

"But isn't that bad for us?" Ajax questioned, "If she's as efficient as you say she is, won't she be able to, in case we can't capture the cornucopia, escape with our supplies?"

He definitely had a good head on his shoulder.

"But we'll make sure that we use her gifts," Atlas continued, "She'll be expendable."

Ah, so that's what his thought process was like.

"We'll ask her," Welton said, "Let's see what she says."

"Do we need more allies?" Minerva said, looking at all of us, "I mean, there are seven of us. Will a bigger group really be any use? I don't think so. In fact, if we end up having more allies, they may actually turn out to be a liability."

I had never thought she'd make such a point. She just seemed like a really good girl up until now, but here she was, talking about liabilities, because that's what Outliers would be for us. Liabilities.

"Well said," Venus remarked, slapping Minerva on the back.

"I think there's strength in numbers," Atlas replied coldly.

"That makes sense too."

"That's true, but sometimes having extra members just makes things much more difficult than they should be," Minerva retorted.

"That's right."

I frowned at Venus. She was so immature, taking this discussion as a joke, taking everything as a joke. It was annoying and childish and I had a hard time believing she was worthy of being a Career.

"Whose side are you on?" Julian muttered, glaring at his District Partner.

"I was just trying to enjoy a nice banter," Venus giggled.

And with that, there broke out an argument of sorts, and I saw that the guys who were serving us lunch were staring at the group, confused. It wasn't a real argument, with District Two bickering and the tributes from Four giving reasons as to why their stand was correct, and the rest of us just looked on, kind of embarrassed. One takeaway from this meeting was that Atlas had something for the Ten girl; whether it was love or hatred was to be determined.

"GUYS!" I shouted as the noise started growing louder and louder. The bickering stopped immediately, and they all looked at me. I sighed and put on my friendliest smile.

"How about we keep an eye on everyone? That way we can see whom to include... And whom we can target during the Bloodbath."

They stayed quiet for about three seconds, staring at me, and then all of them nodded together.

"Makes sense," Julian said appreciatively, "Let's do this guys."

And all of us got to our feet to leave the mess hall. There was a lot of work to be done.

 **Hello! Here we are, at the first Training Day, and I hope this was better than the previous chapter, but I'll understand if it isn't because I wrote this on my phone. Let me know what you think of this, and also who you think the Careers will include in their team. We've, I think, four more pre-games chapters, and then we'll be done with this. I'm so excited.**

 **Have a great day!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Training Day Two**

 **Max Paulson (15) D8M**

I wondered how many tributes had laid on this bed, having sleepless nights like I did.

I hadn't slept at all since I got on the train, except for a few hours when I had simply passed out from exhaustion after the parade. I had a constant headache, and no matter what medicine I took, it just refused to subside.

Hence, with my head pounding, I stepped into the shower and turned it on, hoping that the warm water would do me some good, not that it had worked in the last few days. As the water dripped down my body, I let out a sigh as the water soothed my muscles. This was, right now the best place to think, and so I closed my eyes and did just that.

I needed to figure out a strategy. There was nobody reliable here, and the fact that my mentor agreed with me on the idea of not allying just confirmed it. But the problem was Rebecca, who insisted that allies were necessary. No matter how many times I tried to convince her, she just didn't sway from her resolve. I exhaled slowly. More allies meant higher chances of having my secret discovered, and since the Capitol apparently wanted to lower the population, a solution that saved people was something that they wouldn't like.

Right now, the only thing I could think of was staying low, as low as possible. The Careers should especially not notice me whatever happened. I turned off the shower, standing still, holding the towel tightly. If I stayed too low, I could be losing out sponsors. As such, I'd anyway not interacted much with the Capitolites earlier, and if I got a low score, for that was what I had to aim for if I wanted to go unnoticed, I would lose out all sponsors. Running into the bloodbath would be risky, and I would need some kind of resources to build something of my own, but I had no idea what the arena would be like, and all this confusion was driving me crazy now. I needed time to figure out something, and it was one thing I didn't have much of.

Could I aim for a mid-level to high score? I didn't have weapons' knowledge, but I did have some other crucial knowledge to survive, and I could show it all to get a higher score, at least a seven. But a seven would paint a big target on my back, because I knew I looked unimpressive.

"Goodness…!" I gasped, staring down at the towel. There must be a way, a definite way. some strategy I could work on… time was running out fast. I had to decide now, before leaving the bathroom.

 _High? Low? High? Low? What to do?_

I leaned back against the bathroom wall, absently rubbing myself dry as I thought deeper into this. Did I really need sponsors? In the beginning? Of course, having them would be the ideal situation, but things were far from ideal here, it was the _Games_ after all, but still… how badly could lack of sponsors hurt me?

 _You can have lack of supplies because of that._

And that was true. No way on earth was I going for the cornucopia, that part of my strategy was already figured out, thankfully, but what next? I realised that, in case I fled the bloodbath, I'd have to do something remarkable in order to get sponsors regardless of my training score, because people here liked action, which I wouldn't be providing.

 _Aim low._

That would be it. if I aimed low, the Careers would also not pay me any heed, which was something I needed right now. If I was their target it would mean a sad end to my story.

And I couldn't let my story end so soon.

I'd get sponsors because of my work, away from the prying eyes of the deadly Careers. And I would get back, and I would complete the Ray Cat Solution, I would work on other inventions and I would make the world a better place. there was no other option for me.

There was a knock on the bathroom door, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Max," Rebecca's voice floated through, "Max come out for breakfast. Charles wants to talk."

"Coming," I called back, putting on my clothes, tossing the used towel aside.

I wondered what Charles would want to talk about, but I first wanted to go through my thoughts with Rebecca, just so that we were on the same page. I stepped out of the bathroom and smiled at her, before walking away for breakfast.

 **Sylo Shaw (17) D10M**

Junova did not say a word as the lift descended, and I preferred it this way. She was a thief, a professional one, and I couldn't let her get too close. As a thief myself, I knew she would be dangerous if I got too close, or if she found out I was not so different from her.

As the lift door slid open, we stepped out to see that the hall was relatively empty, with only a few tributes present there, moving around absently, unable to figure out what to do. Junova walked away to the water station and I was left alone to do as I pleased.

And so, I ambled over to where the various knives were kept, the station surprisingly unattended, and I looked around to see if any trainer was there. In fact, when I surveyed the area, I realised there was _no trainer_ there. That was probably the reason why the other tributes looked so bewildered. They just didn't know what to do. I picked up a small knife, weighing it in my hand, trying to adjust to its feel. I walked over to a dummy and stabbed it, before pulling out my knife. I needed a simulation to practice fighting actual people, dummies wouldn't help, but as long as the trainers were absent, I was stuck here. And so I struck at the dummies from different angles, trying to find my perfect grip on the knife, and very soon that particular dummy was demolished. I had probably figured out the perfect grip for that knife, and I put it back in its place. I had to try out at least one more weapon so that I could use it in case of an emergency. Sure, I could probably not learn use it to actually kill people, but weapons could have other uses too.

I was about to try out a sickle, and started moving towards it, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I felt an abrupt of panic and dread fill me, and I slowly turned around, wondering who would try to talk to me, and saw the smiling face of the boy from Four.

"Hello there! I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright," I muttered, wishing he would just walk away. If a Career wanted to talk to me, it wasn't a good sign, it wasn't a good sign at all. What if he tried to kill me right now? No, I couldn't be that irrational. He wouldn't do that, would he? Not when it was punishable? But what if he was here to threaten me? But why would that be the case? I was nothing special, it took me quite a while to even find a grip for a knife. Goodness, what did he _want_?!

"I'm Atlas," he said brightly, extending his hand, and I grabbed it gingerly, his grip extremely steely.

"Sylo."

"Sylo, I noticed how well you worked with that knife," he continued, "I also noticed that you're really determined. You were working so hard yesterday, and you're working so hard now. I wonder if you'd like some help?"

"Help?"

The word rolled out slowly from my lips. What help could a _Career_ offer me?

"Yeah. Will you like to join my alliance? We're all good with weapons, and we will happily train you to use them better."

I stared blankly at him. I had _not_ expected the conversation to be about this, and I did not know what would be the right answer. If I said yes, I would be stuck with a pack of wolves, ready to hunt me and I would basically lose my freedom to do things my way. On the other hand, if I refused, they would certainly kill me during the bloodbath. Oh damn, why was I put in such a situation?! Why didn't he ask someone else?!

"Hey," he said kindly, "Take your time. It's okay if you don't want to, just let me know by lunch time, alright?"

And he patted my shoulder as he smiled, before starting towards his allies.

"Wait!" I called out, "I'm in!"

"Excellent!" he beamed, "I knew you wouldn't refuse. Come on, let me introduce you to my friends."

And with that, I was being dragged by some invisible forces towards the pack, hoping I had not made a wrong decision.

 **Monroe Alba (17) D7F**

I shouldn't be here.

How could this be happening? I had been thinking over it since the past couple of days. I couldn't really die, could I?

I shivered. No, I wasn't going to die, but I had to work in order to be hundred percent sure.

And so, I found myself at the edible berries station, trying to memorise the looks and features of all the berries I could eat in the arena, and the ones I shouldn't eat no matter what. Yet, I kept forgetting them. Sighing, I stepped back, deciding to take a break.

I started walking towards the water station, but stopped on seeing the boy from Two there. Should I go anywhere where the only other person was a Career? That too from Two? My arid throat argued that it didn't matter, and so I resumed my slow walk, hoping he'd have left by then, but he kept on drinking, and I couldn't help but wonder where he was storing all that water. By the time I reached him, he was on his fourth glass, and I couldn't understand why he was drinking so much of water.

One could argue that drinking so much water was the secret behind his stunning looks.

Despite myself, I leaned against the wall, a smirk on my face, and he paused his drinking, the glass still held to his mouth. I continued watching him, batting my eyelashes, and the poor boy looked behind to check whether this act was meant for him or someone else. Seeing that there was nobody else there, he turned to me, an astonished look on his face.

"Uh, do you need something?" he asked.

I chuckled, moving my hand to slowly rest on my hip, before winking, "I need _you._ "

I should probably have not said that, not because he was a Career, but because he gave the most interesting reaction to my statement. He had been drinking water, and he spit it out hard, towards _me_ , and I ducked just in time for the water to be splattered all over the wall.

"Excuse me?!" he exclaimed, eyes wide, and he honestly looked so cute.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you how handsome you are?" I asked, moving slowly towards him, and to my delight, he stepped back. So, the Career wasn't exactly invincible after all.

"I-uh-" he started feebly, not knowing what to say, looking at a loss of words. He looked around helplessly, as if hoping someone would rescue him, and I found it adorable how he reacted to simple flirting.

"Um, thank you," he finally said, and composed himself, "I should leave. I have to train."

"Wait a second," I said softly, before pulling back his arm, and he was soon back where he had been standing, and my hand slowly started moving up his strong arm. I had really thought he would respond positively now, because he seemed to have come out of his initial… whatever it had been, but now he was turning red with every passing second, with shyness or embarrassment, I didn't know. I decided to end it, since the poor boy was probably not liking it, and was about to pull back my hand when somebody grabbed my wrist and shoved me hard.

I looked up, perplexed, to see his District Partner glaring at me angrily even as she played with her hair. She frowned at me as I couldn't help but look at her from toe to top, and goodness, she was _gorgeous._

"What were you doing?" she asked, not a trace of anger in her voice, in stark contrast to her expression.

"I was having a little fun with your handsome friend, but I guess I should have waited," I smiled, "Because you are a beauty, sunshine."

And I was sure she would blush, the angry ones always fell for that one, but she just looked bored now.

"More like moonlight," she said, "I don't particularly like the sun."

And with that, she pulled Julian away, angrily hissing something in his ears, and I groaned as the events of the last few minutes hit me. _What_ was I doing?! That was honestly such a stupid thing to say to a Career! I just wanted to feel as if everything was normal, and I started hitting on them, never thinking it through… and my blood chilled. What if they targeted me? I was just having fun, I had no intention to offend either of them! Should I go apologise? Would that make it worse? No, I wasn't going to do any of that. I wasn't scared of either of them, I was strong enough to hold my own.

I just wasn't feeling so thirsty anymore.

 **Arbor Basswood (17) D7M**

I was watching the commotion from afar, and let out a deep sigh as I saw the Careers walk away from Monroe. I heard Venus whispering to Julian as to why he didn't brush her off himself, to which he replied that he was overwhelmed, and my eyes travelled back to Monroe. I left my spot before she could notice I had been watching, as that would embarrass her even more, and that was when I noted that the little girl from Eleven had been watching _me_ as I spied on Monroe.

 _Interesting._

I offered her a smile as I passed by, but Raiza didn't reciprocate it. there had been something about her that told me she knew way more than it looked she would, and I grinned to myself, amused. Why, what were the chances that the little girl from Eleven would win it all? Slim, certainly, but it was there. And I was chuckling to myself when I thought more about that outcome. Very well.

However, even I was surprised when I was stopped by the tributes from One, the boy looking solemn, as if he meant business, and the girl smiling at me.

"Hey there, Arbor," she said, sticking out her hand, "I'm Eritine, and this is Welton. We were wondering whether we could have a quick word with you."

I took her hand and held it, eyes moving from her to her District Partner. smiling at Eritine, I nodded as I released her hand, and soon I was led away to another water station. I wondered why they were trying to not be seen with me. They were Careers, they needn't fear anyone. And probably they didn't but… What did they want with me anyway?

"So, what's it about?"

"Arbor, we were wondering whether you'd like to join our alliance."

"Ah."

So this was what it was all about! But why would they want me? I wasn't exactly skilled in weaponry, and while I was great at making traps, I had always practiced that when no other tribute was around. There was literally nothing about me that stood out, not in the general sense anyway, and I could see no way in which I could be useful to these brutes. They didn't even need me for sponsors or something.

"So, what do you say?" Eritine asked, but it was Welton I was studying, his lips were a straight line, as if he already knew what my response was going to be. And he was right.

Because, even if I could be useful to the Careers, how could _they_ be useful to _me_? Sure, they could get mad and target me, but I wasn't really concerned. The worst that would happen would be that I would die, and that didn't bother me much anyway. My problem was that if I died, I would be a loser, and I couldn't let that happen. But if I allied with the Careers, I would be just a puppet… which was worse than losing.

So I smiled broadly at them both and replied, "No."

"What?!" Eritine asked, "I'm sure I didn't hear you correctly."

"I said no," I smirked, "I don't want to be a part of your alliance."

"You'll stand a better chance with us!"

"I'm sure I won't. I'll be expendable, and that can't be true for me."

"But-"

"Eritine," Welton cut her off, frowning at me, "We got his answer, let's go."

The girl looked as if she would argue with him, but she simply shook her head, smiling darkly.

"Very well, Arbor. I hope you know what this means for you. See you in the arena."

"Nice meeting you," I said as they left, and I chuckled.

Ah, so she was going to target me during the bloodbath? If that's what she, I was ready to play this game with her.

This was going to be so much fun.

 **So here's Training Day 2 and I hope you enjoyed it. I know nothing really happened in Max's section, but I thought this was more fitting as we could see him think. I guess this chapter is a little rusty for some reason, I don't really know why, but I hope it isn't too bad. Anyway, what did you think of the events happening here? Let me know whose POV you liked the best, and if you want to make any predictions, make them! I'd love to hear those.**

 **Alliances:**

 **The Ultimate Warriors: Welton, Eritine, Julian, Venus, Atlas, Minerva, Ajax, Sylo**

 **Cute Kiddos: Keegan, Corinne, Farouka, Aristaeus**

 **We love Science: Max, Rebecca**

 **Are We Allies? : Bina, Ridge**

 **Have a great day!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Training Day Three**

 **Keegan Devlin (12) D12M**

The Avoxes really puzzled me.

How could anyone _exist_ without speaking a thing?! They just stood everywhere, ready to serve, ready to attend to my needs, but they never talked. They avoided having any interaction with me, other than taking orders, and it was kind of painful to see this happening.

But what could I do for them?

 _At least they don't make noise._

Well, that was good, but it would've been better had this been the case of wilful quietness, not a forced one. I had been told that their tongues had been cut off for being bad, and it always made me shudder. What exactly did the Capitol consider as being bad? Was I being bad?

"Keegan!"

I looked back to see Corinne jogging towards me, smiling brightly and I waved at her.

"How're you doing?"

"Pretty good."

I sighed, shaking my head.

"Okay that was a lie."

"Figured as much," she said and I was surprised to see that her smile was gone. Neither of us knew what to say, and I had forgotten that I was standing in front of the lift.

So when it slid open, I jumped, startled. A girl, probably the one from Nine, stepped out, and she smiled at us.

"Hello!" she greeted.

"Hey!" Corinne said, raising her hand in greeting card I followed awkwardly, not really knowing how to talk to this girl. She was so much older than me. I wondered how Corinne did it, talk to anyone, that is. I found this to be pretty hard.

The other girl, Misha, was pretty energetic... And in a hurry.

"I've got to go. See you both later!"

And she sped off at an incredible speed, leaving the two of us stunned at the amount of energy she seemed to possess.

"Anyway," Corinne said, "This is our last day of training. What do we do today?"

My heart fluttered anxiously as she said this. Last day of training... This was my only chance to gather enough skills to win and make my parents happy, to make them love each other again. I needed to utilise this chance to the best of my abilities.

"How about poisons?"

Farouka seemed to think that poisons were a great alternative to any weapon that we could train with, simply because weapons were hard to train with.

But before I could start out, it seemed that Corinne had a change of mind, and she grabbed my wrist, nudging me to go with her.

"What-?"

And she pushed me into the lift, before pressing the button to her floor.

"What's this about?" I asked, confused at her behaviour. She grinned broadly in reply.

"I think I saw some Avoxes walking around with some nice cup cakes earlier. Let's try them!"

"What?" I asked again, unable to make sense of what was happening. So... She wanted to try some nice cup cakes? Right now?

"Won't we be missing out on some valuable time?"

"Keegan, we were early!" she exclaimed, "And you must know that good food can increase your productivity!"

"It does?"

"Yes silly!"

But even as the lift stopped at her floor and we stepped out, I saw her mentor approaching it, and she looked surprised to see us there. I sighed; why did I think Corinne would be reprimanded?

"What are you two doing here?" Anya asked softly, looking from Corinne to me.

"We came for the cup cakes," I replied, and for some reason Corinne shot me a look, as if I wasn't supposed to say that.

Anya sighed.

"Kiddos... You need to train right now, it's some very valuable time you'll be wasting if you wander around here and there."

Neither of us spoke anything, and I stared at my shoes.

"Hey, how about this? After your private sessions, I'll make sure you guys are greeted with lots of freshly baked cup cakes?"

"You'll do that?" Corinne asked warily.

"I will. Now run along you two."

And she kind of forced us back into the lift, even though she was gentle, and got on with us. I exhaled.

There really had been no need to go back up after all.

 **Minerva "Minnie" McCarthy (17) D4F**

As I looked at each member of my alliance in turn, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over me. No, I wasn't scared, but there were eight of us now, eight of us who could be involved in a big bloodbath later, considering we all made it out of the initial bloodbath first. And what would I know about the Outlier allies not having separate allies too? What if they ganged up on us? Atlas was right, there was strength in numbers, and due to that strength, the Outliers could, in fact, beat us.

I could understand taking in Ajax, he was strong and trained, and at that time one more ally would have been okay, but for some reason they just wanted to expand so much. I just couldn't get the point.

"I think we should also ask the Nine girl?"

I looked at Atlas, annoyed. What was he planning to do? Why so many allies? What was the need?

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked him, and ushered him aside, blinking at Venus and Julian to accompany me. I had found them to be much more reliable than our other allies, and while I liked Ajax quite a bit, this was concerning our Outlier alliance… or what could be our extended alliance if I didn't stop it.

So, Welton and Eritine stayed back with Sylo and Ajax, and the rest of us circled Atlas. Before I could speak though, Venus was already on it.

"What are you doing, dude?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I'm strengthening our alliance," Atlas replied smoothly, looking perplexed at out reaction.

"Honestly Atlas? By taking in more and more of hopeless kids?" Julian sighed.

"I'm not talking about taking in hopeless kids," Atlas retorted, "Have you seen Ajax? He's almost as good as us! Sylo is really efficient! Junova is efficient too, it's a different thing she refused."

"And Arbor?" I asked.

"Arbor is, well, he's, I don't know. It was Welton's idea to ask him in. I'm suggesting asking Misha, because she looks strong and volunteered!"

"She might be suicidal for all we know," Venus retorted.

"She can't be," Atlas said stubbornly, "Just look at her! The kind of enthusiasm she has, it's unmatched!"

"I think Monroe will also be a good choice. She's quite strong," Julian suggested innocently, and for a second I was really annoyed at him. Yes, Monroe was physically strong, but we were here so that we could put a stop to this expanding mass of humans we were calling an alliance. It was when Venus let out a chuckle that I realised that Julian was being sarcastic, and I let out a sigh as Atlas gave us an exasperated frown.

"Not funny, Julian."

"So, you're going to ask Misha?" Venus asked.

"You bet I am."

"How about this?" I interrupted and looked at Atlas in the eyes, only to find a quiet hatred in them, "Let's recruit everyone and have a picnic at the cornucopia!"

"Hear! Hear!" Venus cheered.

"Good point," Julian nodded.

I could see the effort Atlas was putting to not show his anger, and I smiled to myself. So I was right. He was indeed planning something.

Something about Atlas told me that he was planning to recruit Outliers on the pretext that _he_ was helping them out, and then make a team out of them to get rid of the other Careers. I was sure Junova and Arbor must have seen something wrong with his kind invitations, and that's why they refused.

"Oh come on _Minnie_!" Atlas said, emphasising my nickname as if to mock me for having it, "You've had a problem with me since the day we met!"

"Not really," I replied, surprised that he came to that assumption.

"Of course you do! From the day we met on the train, you've been against me. Why? Because I wasn't the chosen tribute?!"

"I've not been against you! I'm against your idea, that's it!"

"Well, in the grand scheme of things, both are the same."

"Atlas-"

"Seriously, what have I even done to you?"

"Will you stop crying about this? You haven't done anything to me and I haven't done anything to you. We're both putting forward our thoughts here-"

" _I_ am crying? Honey, you've been complaining about the alliance thing since the beginning!"

I was about to retort when I saw that all the other tributes were staring at us, and my eyes travelled to Ajax and Sylo in the distance. While Ajax looked quite indifferent, I could see the doubt on Sylo's face, along with concern on Eritine's and Welton's. This wasn't good, now it would appear we were already having rifts in our pack…

And suddenly, a gentle yet firm hand grasped my wrist and started pulling me towards the girl's washroom, and I let it do so.

 **Venus Hallow (17) D2F**

I had never expected Atlas to act the way he did, targeting Minnie so openly, and trying to turn our alliance members against her. I could see the look in Welton's and Eritine's eyes, eyeing Minnie as if she was a trouble maker. I had seen Ajax and Sylo, the former looking annoyed and the latter looking visibly hurt. I had seen Julian, who seemed unsure as to who was right. And I had seen Atlas, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

Well, I believed Minnie was in no fault here, and that Atlas was indeed planning something. I had noticed how he had asked both the Ten tributes to join us, and how, right now, he was playing mind games with the alliance. He was playing victim right now, and I felt a sense of disgust engulf me. Dude, you were supposed to be a Career! Behave like one! It seemed as if he didn't care though, and before Minnie could be targeted even further, I nodded slightly to Julian and then took Minerva's wrist, guiding her gently to the washroom. I knew this action could leave varied impressions on our audience, but I needed to talk to her right now.

"What is it?" she asked, sounding so tired that I immediately put my arms around her, quite involuntarily.

The action seemed to have taken both of us by surprise, and she was hesitant at first, but then I felt her strong arms around me for a brief moment, before we released each other.

"Venus, I'm really concerned about this alliance," she said with a sigh, "I think Atlas has something planned."

"That he wants to get us killed? Yeah, I think so too," I muttered, twirling my hair, thinking. While Eritine and Welton supported him, Julian and I had been discussing this last night. Atlas was going the extra mile to recruit people in the alliance, something Careers didn't usually do. The most obvious explanation was that he was building a mini army of his own, and planned to take down the rest of us, the ones standing in his way would be out first.

Well, that wasn't happening while I was around.

"We need to think of something," I muttered, "Wait a second."

She looked confused as I marched towards the door, opened it, and found Julian standing there, which was expected as he usually responded to my signals. Grinning wildly at him, I pulled him into the deserted washroom, and he looked so shy and nervous that Minnie and I couldn't help but laugh.

"This is the girl's bathroom!" he exclaimed, "I shouldn't be here!"

"You will stay here!" I said angrily.

"No, I won't!"

"Venus he's feeling uncomfortable," Minnie said gently, trying not to laugh at the devastated expression on Julian's face.

"Cool, let's go to the boy's washroom."

"NO!" they both exclaimed and I raised my hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay, chill."

Julian shook his head, annoyed, just like he always was around me, and said, "Why not just the mess hall? It must be empty now."

"Bathrooms are the _best_ place to discuss things, pal."

And they were. All my prank ideas originated in bathrooms. And now I had to play a really big prank indeed.

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to say…"

And I paused for a dramatic effect, certain they both thought that I was about to suggest making another alliance of only the three of us. Hah, that would be too cliché, plus I kind of liked Ajax and Welton.

"I wanted to say that watch out for Atlas."

"That's it?" they both asked simultaneously, and I nodded.

"Yes. You know, just observe him. If what I think is correct, one of our Outlier friends is going to die because of him."

Julian and Minnie exchanged a glance and then turned back to me, their eyes asking how I could be so sure.

"Venus," Minnie started, "I think we all agree that he's trying to make an alliance with the Outliers."

"Exactly," Julian said, still looking as if he wanted to leave the place.

"I've seen the way he looks at Ajax, the way he stares at Sylo, and the way he 'tries to help' Junova. She refused to join, so she's definitely a target. Ajax and Sylo though…"

I thought that Sylo was in a greater danger from Atlas, simply because the Four boy had a kind of softness in his eyes when he looked at Ajax. Truth be told, even Welton used to gaze softly at him. My dear friend from Five didn't even know he was so popular amongst us.

Before we could continue our discussion though, the bathroom door swung open, and Bina and Junova stepped in, looking at us in surprise. I wondered why, but then their eyes got fixed on Julian, who looked so red that it was comparable to a tomato. Without waiting for even a second, he dashed out, not looking anywhere but the floor.

"What the hell…?!" Junova remarked, and she looked so bewildered that I laughed.

"Chill kiddo, we're out of here."

And with that, Minnie and I walked out, leaving the two surprised girls behind.

 **Dexter Noults (16) D11M**

Despite myself, I felt nervous.

No, it wasn't because of the people. I wasn't scared of anyone, and whenever Audrey glared at me for whatever reason, I glared back just as hard until she turned away. I was pretty good with an axe, and the trainers all seemed somewhat happy with me, telling me they believed I had a chance.

The problem was that this chance wasn't a 100% thing. I _could_ win, which meant that I had a greater chance of dying. And I couldn't, just couldn't think about it.

And those damned private sessions.

I wanted to punch all the Gamemakers for their audacity of conducting something like the private sessions. Like, most people were already about to die! And they wanted to _score_ us?! For something we learned in _three_ days?! Two days and a half, actually, since the sessions would start some time after lunch. The thought was enough for me to lose my appetite.

All around me, everyone was trying to get some last minute training, before they lunchtime. I saw Bina working with a slingshot, Malakai hacking at dummies with his sickle, Max and Rebecca trying to learn about as many plants as they could, Audrey practicing on a crowbar and Raiza trying to learn about how to find water… something nobody else had bothered to go through. Well, I couldn't see the point of this particular training too, because it honestly depended so much on the arena. But poor Raiza was in shock and I didn't blame her for it.

"Hey."

I turned around to see Misha standing near me, a smile on her face.

"Hi," I greeted.

"You look a little lost," she said, "Do you need some help?"

I stared at her blankly for a second, then shook my head. She had volunteered, if I remembered, and had shown great enthusiasm at everything. But she looked so sweet… was this fake? Or was she just this way, enthusiastic about the Games and sweet at the same time? That was a weird combination.

"Uh no," I replied slowly, and then grinned at her, "I was just observing everyone."

"Oh that's cool!" Misha said, "Well, I'll be seeing you then."

And something hit me as I saw her retreating body, moving away from me. If she really was this nice…I could benefit wit having her around. And I was about to call her, when suddenly the boy from Four appeared by her side.

And then they started talking, the details of which I couldn't hear, and Misha glanced at me for just a second. I frowned. _I_ was about to ask her to be my ally. How dare that guy interrupt me!

"Well, I was having a conversation with her, you know?" I called out and marched over to them.

Atlas looked amused at my sudden appearance, while Misha just looked confused about everything.

"Very well, is that so?"

"Yeah," I replied and then turned to Misha.

"Can we be allies?"

She looked unsure at that, but nodded anyway.

"Uh, sure?"

"I was about to ask you that!" Atlas exclaimed, and then turned towards me angrily, "Why did you have to interrupt?"

"You interrupted my conversation, mister!"

"Well, you were so far away from her you couldn't have even heard what she was saying. And you're saying _I_ interrupted you? You have some foolhardy guts, Dexter."

"To hell with you and the other Careers! Always acting as if you're superior to the rest of us! I asked first, she said yes, the story's over!"

And we were almost nose to nose, before Sylo jumped in, coaxing Atlas, pulling him away, throwing a dirty look at me.

I scoffed. The Careers' pet, that's what he was. To hell with them! I made some obscene gestures at the pair, before turning to Misha, who looked a little… bored? What the hell?

"Very well, I'll see you during lunch time."

"Cool."

And she made her way to the knife station, leaving me alone in my rage.

 **Hello all! Here's Training Day Three! Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter, I love reading them. We have eight tribute POVs more, I believe. Ah, they shouldn't take too long, hopefully.**

 **As I mentioned last chapter, I really want to know if you have any predictions! Just so you know, if a tribute is getting more screen time in pre- Games, it doesn't mean they'll not be bloodbaths, and vice versa. I am basing the placements on your votes, as I had mentioned in an earlier chapter, or according to any request you've made at the time of submission or on how much you've been reading, or will read in the future.**

 **I have started a tribute creation guide** **under the name "** **Head Game maker Matthew Hayes' Opinions on His Tributes". Long, I know.** **If you wish to, please take a look. I'll be updating that as often as I can.**

 **Alliances:**

 **The Ultimate Warriors: Welton, Eritine, Julian, Venus, Atlas, Minerva, Ajax, Sylo**

 **Cute Kiddos: Keegan, Corinne, Farouka, Aristaeus**

 **We love Science: Max, Rebecca**

 **Are We Allies? : Bina, Ridge**

 **Allies Amidst Conflict with Third Party : Dexter and Misha**

 **Have a great day!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Private Sessions**

 **Bina Bishop (15) D3F**

We'd been waiting for some time here, some of us tapping our feet, some biting our nails, and some sitting calmly. I was one of the ones who was waiting without much fidgeting, and I could see from the way people looked at me that they were surprised. If only they knew _how_ nervous I felt!

Welton had gone in for his session, and that left only District Two before my own turn. It was frightening, how five minutes in that room could very well determine my fate. If I scored too low, no sponsors, and probably the Game makers would like to dispose of me early.

All of that could be determined in those five minutes.

A hand gently took mine and squeezed it. I glanced at Ridge, who was gazing into space, lost, but refusing to let go of my hand. I didn't know what I felt about it, I did like Ridge a lot as a person, and he'd been nothing but kind to me, looking out for me all the time, but I didn't know whether I wanted that. Maybe, for all I knew, he was manipulating me. Maybe he really felt something for me. In either case, I didn't know what to do.

But it was nice to have someone to talk to, someone with whom I could feel relaxed.

"Bina..." he whispered, and something about that whisper made me look at him carefully. It was only now that I saw that his eyes were bleak.

I put a hand on his shoulder as comfortingly as I could, and for some reason my heart was beating very fast, as if something really bad was about to happen. I couldn't even guess what that could be, since I was already about to be in the Games.

"Ridge, you can tell me."

I usually wouldn't have bothered, but Ridge had been looking out for me since the moment we got Reaped. Plus, something about him made me feel better, safe, homely. It was kind of ironic how I'd always wanted to venture out of Three to learn new things, and now when I was away from home... I missed it so much.

"Bina..." he repeated, his breathing hitched, "I-I'm so, I'm so, I'm..."

And it was now that I was really getting worried, because he buried his face in my shoulders, trembling from crying, and his tears flowing freely. Ridge had always been so strong, so collected... What was the matter? Seeing him like this hit me right in my heart, and I immediately put my arms around him, aware that other tributes were staring at us, but I wasn't bothered.

"What's wrong? Ridge, you can tell me anything."

"Bina," he said, and released himself, and cupped my face in his hands, and his gaze had an intensity that frightened me.

"You're strong Bina, you're not weak like me."

"Ridge, you-"

"I'm weak, Bina, I'm so weak."

And his arms fell limply, tears starting again, and I put my arm around his shoulder, the feeling of something bad happening rising with each second.

"Bina, when I was a kid, I had moved in with my uncle. At first, he used to really love me, and took really good care of me. He trained me how to sing and I really loved him for that. Things went well for about a couple of years and then..."

I held his wrist firmly, because I could feel he needed support right now.

"And then?"

"He forced me into, into, into-"

And his voice was shaky again, every speck of happiness and confidence gone from his being, "He forced me into being his, his plaything."

And I didn't know when I had started crying too, or when I had pulled him closer, our foreheads touching.

"He continued that for years. My father lived in another part of the District, and he rarely visited. I am a coward, I didn't have the courage to tell him, to tell him I was violated every day, every night, by not just my uncle, but strangers as well.

"Later, my father moved in where my uncle's house was, and I went to live with him. I could never tell him, Bina. My uncle met me frequently, even on the day of the Reaping, in fact, and he always tells me that I'm weak to let him roam freely, that I deserve a cruel end for my weakness and my cowardice, for pretending to be calm and collected even when I'm not.

"And you know what Bina? He's right! I've been Reaped because I'm weak! I didn't believe this earlier, but now? Since the past couple of days I've been thinking on this and – and it _is_ my fault!"

"It's not!" I exclaimed, my voice choking. I didn't know what to do, what I could say to comfort him when I myself felt so shattered.

"It is! But I don't accept it," he whispered, "I don't accept dying in the Games for someone's entertainment. I will not let this whole country violate me."

"Ridge-"

"You have to win."

And he started coming closer, giving me a peck on the forehead, and I was feeling so shaken. What was he planning to do, what was he planning to do, _what was he planning to do?!_

"Ms. Bina Bishop, it's your session next! Please report to the Sessions Hall!"

 **Malakai Youngblood (17) D9M**

Misha had been increasingly positive all the time we'd been here, and I couldn't help but see her as a threat. Yes, she volunteered for a friend, but that craziness was definitely there, that craziness that could cost me my win.

"Malakai, what do you think will happen?" she asked, an uncertainty in her voice that surprisingly calmed me down.

"I don't know," I said, and I realised that it must have come off a bit rude, because she was looking at me quizzically. I didn't want a volunteer on my tail though, so I sighed and continued, "Hey, I didn't mean to be rude. I'm just a little nervous."

She nodded in an understanding way and I smiled at her. Which one was the real her? The one now, the one on the train, or the who loved to train for the Hunger Games? I just couldn't understand.

At least she'd not made any fuss when I refused her request to be her ally. I explained to her that I needed to do this alone, and that she would be better off alone too. I could see she didn't agree, as she was allies with Dexter, but she wasn't exactly opposed to or offended by my stand either.

And that was a good thing.

I could make a truce with her later on if needed. She was pretty gullible anyway, and I just needed to be nice and caring. It was Rebecca tapping her feet that brought my attention back to where we were.

"Ridge has been gone for _long,_ " she muttered to Max, "I just want to get done with it and leave."

That was a relatable statement. I didn't want to be here too, waiting to 'showcase' my skills. These scores could decide my future, to some extent anyway, and this made me angry.

"Maybe they're cleaning up?" Max asked.

"For this long? It's almost been twenty minutes since he went in."

I leaned back in my seat, thinking. Twenty minutes? That was a long time, considering one tribute got only about five minutes, extendable up to seven, to show whatever they had to. What was Ridge doing in there?

"Is he in trouble?" Misha whispered, concern evident on her face. I didn't see the point of it, considering we were all forced to be mortal enemies here, but I didn't say that aloud.

"I can't tell for sure," I whispered back, "Maybe he got injured."

"That could be the case," Junova joined in, "But the matter could be different too, right?"

I was about to respond to that, but the sound of heels clicking hushed us all, and I looked up to see one of the panel members, probably a Game maker, and she looked so grim I knew something was terribly wrong instantly.

"Dear tributes," she said in her clear voice, looking at each of us in the eye, "I regret to inform you that your private sessions have been delayed by an hour. We regret the inconvenience. I request you all to gather in the mess hall or go back to your rooms."

A hushed murmur started, everyone started speculating what had happened, and the woman cleared her throat.

"Tributes, please don't panic! There's just been some unforeseen circumstances, and we need time to sort things out. Thank you for your cooperation."

And with that, she headed back to the Sessions Hall, leaving the rest of us kind of bewildered. I frowned. As far as I could remember, this kind of thing had never happened before. Not when a tribute played a prank on the Game makers, not when the entire Sessions Hall was set on fire, not when a tribute has drank poison. In any of these cases, the Sessions had not been postponed to an hour.

"What do you think has happened?" Misha asked.

I felt my blood turn cold as I processed her question. I could clearly understand what had happened, but I didn't want to believe it. Surely, it would mean trouble for all the rest of us.

"Malakai...?"

"Let's go Misha," I replied softly, standing up, and leaving as soon as I could.

 **Raiza Relic (12) D11F**

The one hour break came as a surprise to me. Nothing, _nothing_ could delay the Private Sessions to that extent. I remembered that it hadn't been stalled for so long even when the Sessions Hall was set on fire, the tributes had continued in the burnt room.

No, this was something different, something big.

Around me, everyone was leaving for the mess hall, nobody really wanting to go to their rooms; only the tributes who were done with the session had left this place much earlier.

Could any of them know what the matter was?

Soon, the waiting room was deserted except for me now, and I stood up gingerly. I wished I had my camera now; I must have definitely captured something with it. Sadly, I had to destroy it completely, and it had been painful to see my companion... Go.

"Raiza."

I started, taken aback by the lone voice in this deserted room, and when I stood up, I was met by the calm, indifferent eyes of Arbor Basswood, an amused yet irritating smile on his face.

"Yes?" I asked flatly, trying to not let my nervousness about the situation show. Yes, in a situation where everyone was stressed out, a calm kid would look strange, but if I started blabbering things in my nervousness of the situation, things would be much worse.

"I see you didn't come with the rest of us. Any specific reason for that?"

He was such a smug man.

"There's no reason," I replied in a small voice, "And even if I did, why would I tell you?"

He blinked a couple of times, before throwing back his hair and laughing.

"What?"

"Raiza," he said, laughing ceased, smile back on face, "Raiza... Why do you avoid people so much?"

I pursed my lips. I had been hoping to find out what the deal was over here, but maybe that idea had to be dropped now. It was kind of funny though; I had been keeping an eye on Arbor all this while because he had shown a very sharp yet quiet confidence, but it turned out that he had been observing me too.

"I don't avoid people. I like to keep to myself."

"Raiza," he said, slowly, as if tasting the sound of the name, "I've kind of found you...everywhere. So small, so unnoticeable. You've been studying everyone like a book, haven't you?"

"I don't know what you're trying to say."

"Your District Partner believes you're in shock," he shook his head, "I think most people would agree. I mean, a twelve year old and all.

"But I think that's not the case at all, Raiza, I don't think so at all."

I remained silent, rearranging my features to look perplexed, but my heart was racing. What had he noticed? Had he seen something that he shouldn't have? Had I done something I shouldn't have had done? This usually didn't happen, but the way he talked was making me really uneasy. Was he trying to get on my nerves?

"I think you have your eyes everywhere," he continued slyly, "Should I be scared of you? Have you studied me pretty well too?"

I kept quiet as he drew in closer, and he lowered himself till his lips were at my ear.

"I think you _are_ a threat Raiza," he whispered, making a shiver go through my spine, "Because _I_ have been studying _you._ "

My throat felt extremely arid now and it took all the effort in the world to not look disturbed as he pulled back, his smile completely different now, because it looked so kind, such a deceptive smile.

"I'm not threatening you, Raiza," he said so sincerely that I almost believed him. Almost. "I just hope that we can have a truce if we meet in the arena."

I was surprised by this. I had been expecting either a subtle threat or an alliance proposition. A truce? He had no reason to fear me. I nodded at him anyway.

"Sure."

"And I don't think you should hang around here. It'll look suspicious."

And he was right, obviously he was right, he was always right. This person was frustrating beyond belief, pressing all the buttons that were setting me off, but I smiled lightly and followed him out of the waiting room.

 **Julian Arum (17) D2M**

It had been a tiring day.

No, I hadn't done anything much. In fact, I'd been in my room since my Session was over, but I was still exhausted, sprawled on the sofa, and now Venus settled down next to me, resting her head on my shoulder.

I sighed. There was a time I found her irritating, but now... I was kind of used to her. It was almost as if I needed her around me, annoying me. I shouldn't think that way, but I was growing fond of this girl.

And so, I wrapped my arm around her as she played with her hair as usual, and leaned back, pulling her with me.

"Shall I turn on the TV?" she asked.

"The scores won't be announced right now."

"I was thinking of watching a cartoon."

And there she went again, talking about watching cartoons when we were about to murder our peers, and it looked so believable I wasn't even surprised when she flicked on the television and changed the channel to Toony World.

"Dude, these cartoons are for _toddlers_!" I exclaimed.

She shot me a look and shrugged, her body swaying gently to the rhythm of the nursery rhyme, and despite myself I was wobbling gently too. On the screen was a boar singing this song, and I wondered why they didn't put up a normal pig instead. Oh well.

"What an adorable pig," Venus muttered.

"It's a boar."

"It's a pig."

"It's a boar."

"Pig."

"Boar."

And before she could say 'pig' again, I pulled her up from the sofa, feeling energetic again, and placed my hand gently on my lower back, inviting her to dance, which she accepted. And soon, we were dancing to the tunes of a nursery rhyme, slowly, gently.

"Julian."

"Yes?" I asked slowly, wondering what my friend was going to say to spoil my mood.

"It's a pig."

I pushed her away from me abruptly, and she fell back on the sofa, chuckling. I had honestly thought she'd comment on my poor dancing skills, and would have forgotten about that little argument already.

It seemed that wasn't the case at all.

"Can we have Minnie come over here?" I asked.

"Of course! Tributes can meet each other on their floors after training. Why though?"

"Well, she can confirm whether it's a boar or not."

She stared at me blankly and then face-palmed in a very cartoonish style. I scoffed. She was so extra, and yet was acting this way at a suggestion that was just a joke.

What was surprising was that the door bell of suite started ringing at that very moment, and I was surprised at the visitor. Who would want to meet either of us? Venus turned off the TV and we walked over to the door, opening it, to see Minnie standing there, looking grim.

"Hey," I greeted, but she didn't respond. Instead, she just walked in, and as I closed the door, she let out a frustrated sigh, pacing the room, looking very disturbed.

"What's the matter?" I asked, although I was sure that it must have been Atlas. Honestly, he was the only one causing her so much frustration at the moment. Had he convinced Welton and Eritine to be against Minnie too? That could be the case.

But as she stomped around, fidgeting nervously, unable to calm herself down, I knew it wasn't the matter.

Before I could probe the matter, the doorbell rang again and Venus opened it this time to see Welton and Ajax standing there.

"Hi?" I said. Why were my allies gathering at my place?

"Did you hear the news?" Welton asked, his face even more solemn than usual.

Venus and I exchanged a look, confused. Minnie sighed.

"I was sure they wouldn't have," she said, "Things are going to get really bad for all the tributes this time."

"What happened?" I asked, trying not to sound too worried. It was Ajax who looked me in the eye and answered.

"Ridge committed suicide during his Private Session."

 **Hello guys, I hope you liked this chapter. I know it must have been shocking to have a pre-game death, and you might be thinking "Reader jumped onto the pre game death bandwagon too?" And honestly, I wasn't going to. However, at the time of submission, his submitter had made the request for things to go this way, and I did what I could.**

 **Eulogies:**

 **24** **th** **– Ridge Aqram: Ridge was one of my favourites this time around, and I personally saw him as a Victor material. He had a tragic past that I didn't highlight until the end because it had been requested that way, and he still kept a brave face. Sadly, the Games sent him to a dark place that brought back everything, and he did what he did because he refused to live as someone else's puppet. Rest in peace Ridge, you were one awesome character. Thank you Lily, for sending such a great guy to me.**

 **How do you think Ridge's death will impact the story/specific characters? And how do you think it'll impact Matthew, considering Ridge committed suicide in front of the** _ **Head Game maker**_ **? Will Snow and Nerissa spare him after this blunder? And how do you think Bina will take this? Let me know what you thought of the chapter.**

 **And now the training scores:**

 **Eritine – 8**

 **Welton – 9**

 **Venus – 10**

 **Julian – 9**

 **Bina – 5**

 **Minerva – 10**

 **Atlas – 9**

 **Audrey – 7**

 **Ajax - 9**

 **Corinne – 4**

 **Aristaeus – 7**

 **Monroe – 7**

 **Arbor – 8**

 **Rebecca – 6**

 **Max – 6**

 **Misha – 5**

 **Malakai – 6**

 **Junova – 7**

 **Sylo – 6**

 **Raiza – 5**

 **Dexter – 6**

 **Farouka – 7**

 **Keegan – 4**

 **So Matthew has given a higher score to everyone after Bina than what he'd usually give, because the poor guy has no idea how to handle this situation.**

 **Thanks for reading guys, and please let me know your thoughts.**

 **Have a great day!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Night Before the Games**

 **Misha Windover (18) D9F**

Tomorrow was the day everything would be decided.

I lied in bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking. Ridge's face swam in front of my eyes, the fiasco that had been created because of him. That's how Matthew Hayes had termed the whole suicide thing- a fiasco. He had issued an official statement that Ridge Aqram had had some health issue and had unfortunately passed away, and since Matthew emanated fear in the masses, nobody questioned it.

But he had been shaken, I had seen him off camera, and he had looked injured, and I was surprised. So, the Head Game Maker wasn't immune to atrocities either?

I didn't care about him though, all I cared about was the reaction that Ridge's end because it had been repulsive. The security had been tightened for the tributes, tributes were required permission to meet tributes from other Districts, and the tributes themselves cursed Ridge for making things harder for them. Nobody cared that a person took his own life; to what extent that boy would have been driven.

Simply nobody cared.

And my tears were flowing now, how humans didn't care at all about other humans, how everyone was selfish. If I died, would anyone care?

Would Shizune care?

I had seen Bina grieve for Ridge, she was in a state of shock, and her interviews had been disastrous because she broke down. Would Shizune break down for me? Would she miss me? Would she forgive me?

It wasn't really too late at night, only around seven, but I felt a darkness engulf me. Ridge had the courage to free himself. I didn't see the point of continuing, for most probably Shizune didn't care about me anyway. Should I follow on his tracks?

 _Why shouldn't I?_

I sat up, contemplating on the idea? Should I do it? There was no point in trying to live anyway, no point in being happy and cheerful. It was unfortunate that I was realising it right now that I didn't have to be happy when I didn't feel like it. I had seen how people acted, how people mocked you after you were driven over the edge, how nobody remembered you, or even grieved for you. People like me, who lived even though they had no reason to… it did kind of hurt that people could be so insensitive. I put up a brave face everyday to fight these demons, and I had always seen Ridge smile brightly, his beautiful voice carrying through the training centre, and he must have been dealing with his own fears and problems, problems that forced him to take such a step.

Maybe he had lost life's meaning as well.

Why on earth should I try to survive the arena? Just to entertain a few sadists?

My vision was clouded with tears now, and I could barely see anything, other than Shizune, Shizune who wouldn't care about my death even though I sacrificed my life for her. I didn't regret it, not one bit, but it hit me anyway. I could see Harvest, who used me and who I used, and how we betrayed Shizune, and how she was correct to not forgive me after all…

There was no need to be a happy girl any more, there was just no point. The fake enthusiasm I put up, the fake smiles, bright like the sun, deadly like fire were meaningless. Life was meaningless. The world was meaningless.

I wouldn't commit suicide though, not now anyway. I didn't want to put anyone in any further trouble, despite how much I loathed them for their indifferent and hostile attitude towards Ridge's end, and I loathed myself for thinking of them, acting in accordance to their interests, even when I knew how rotten they all were.

I wanted to die, and die quickly, but I guessed I would have to wait for the right time.

 **Ajax Volt (18) D5M**

I leaned against the back of the chair, eyes closed, knowing that a guard was outside the suite, waiting to escort me back after the meeting was over. Ridge's death had been unfortunate, but I believed he did the right thing to end his life and not to be someone's pawn when he had no chance of winning. I hoped his family was keeping well; I knew how much it hurt to lose a close family member, and was sure his loved ones were going through the same.

Very soon, everyone's loved ones would be going through the same, and I didn't intend to be included in the same.

At the moment though, we were all gathered in District One's suite, and by all I meant all the careers other than Venus, Julian and Minnie, because apparently they were our 'enemies'. I couldn't believe how effectively Atlas had convinced everyone about it, that his own actions weren't suspicious at all.

"The trio will gang up on us, I'm telling you," Atlas said, "They'll try to take you both down at the bloodbath, but worry not, I'll be there to protect you."

I glanced at Sylo, who looked positively relieved at that, and I frowned. Atlas would protect him and me? Really? All the man had been doing was turn one part of the alliance against the other. How could I be sure that he wasn't using Sylo and me for his own gains?

"Yeah, we'll have your back," Welton said, and his eyes rested softly on me. I smiled lightly at him, not bothering to point out that the voice was his but the words were Atlas'. The boy from Four had had the most impact on Welton, and I wondered why. Welton appeared to be such a calm and wise person, how could he be brainwashed so easily?

"Nothing of the sort would happen, they're not foolish enough to attack us during the bloodbath," Eritine muttered, and I smirked.

Ah, how could I forget about her?

The woman was the most difficult to understand of all the people in this alliance, and I blamed her apparent niceness for it. She came off as so nice, so considerate, so helpful that I couldn't really digest it. I noticed how less she spoke, how she supported Atlas in his theories, but refrained from accepting them wholly. I noticed how she kept a good relation with the trio as well, whereas Welton and Sylo showed their mistrust quite openly. Eritine was here to play a game, and I could see how big of a schemer she was, knowing she had targets fixed in her mind for the bloodbath, and how she planed on compensating for her low score by getting the most kills. She was a smart brat, not really revealing much and yet coming off as somebody open and sharing.

She was honestly the one I had to be careful of the most.

"I agree with you," Welton said, looking at Eritine, "They're not stupid enough to attack us in the beginning."

"My friends, I suggest _we_ finish them off at the bloodbath," Atlas suggested calmly, and everyone's ears perked up, everyone was interested but everyone was unsure as well. Would it be wise to attack such a big part of the alliance?

"Oh, but I don't think we should do that," Eritine replied, "There are three of them."

"And five of us!" Atlas exclaimed, "There are two highest scorers amongst them! It'll be better if we take them down in the beginning itself."

"I agree with Atlas," Sylo said, and I had noticed that he _often_ agreed with Atlas, "Bigger threats have to be taken care of."

And with that, the boy from Four turned to look at me, and his eyes moved top to bottom as he took me in, and I felt creeped out. He often looked at me like that, as if he felt something for me, and that wasn't the only problem for me, because apparently Welton also liked me, if his gazes were anything to go by. It honestly made me very uncomfortable, and it seemed that neither of the boys even knew what they were doing.

I got up from my seat and settled down next to Eritine, because the way Atlas was staring at me was really disturbing me, and I was hoping Eritine ould cover me from his line of vision. At;as blinked and looked away, coughing softly.

"Whatever the case guys, the trio can't be trusted," he said, "They can't be trusted at all."

 _And so can't you._

 **Rebecca Ravensway (15) D8F**

I was feeling increasingly nervous as each second passed by. The interview had been fine, but what came tomorrow was worrying me. Max didn't seem to be too concerned; he was probably thinking of a solution to get out of this mess, but I couldn't help but wonder what could be done. Even if the two of us survived everything… did I have it in me to kill Max?

The two of us had been partners since a long, _long_ time, working on innovations, inventions together, trying to make people's lives better. It was ironic how unsure our own lives were at this moment, since we were both at a greater danger than others considering that we were rigged. The country was suffering from an overpopulation problem, and the Capitol didn't want us, two nobodies, to make something that would help people survive and save their lives from something bad like radiations, or at least I thought so anyway. We both surely must be on the Game Makers' radar, especially after Ridge's suicide. I still didn't get why he did it though. Most likely, he would have died any way. By taking this course of action, he had made things difficult for all of us.

But I had heard a few things… things not meant for a tribute's ears, and I was eager to tell Max about it. However, I had no idea whether our suite was exactly safe for that purpose or not. Our rooms could have cameras or could have been bugged, or both. I didn't know, and I couldn't take the risk.

Of course, I could write it down, but it was possible that the camera, if it was there, would see me doing it anyway. The whole situation made me feel so trapped, because I knew something very important, and yet I couldn't share it with Max. Max would know what to do, Max could figure out a fool proof plan, but for that I had to tell him.

And I just _couldn't._

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, and I looked up at him, startled by the sudden voice.

"Uh yeah."

He frowned at me, as if trying to figure out something, and the urge to tell him what I had heard just grew. It was getting hard to fight it now, because I knew this would help us in the bloodbath, but the security measures were so tight now that it would be a bad idea to let anything slip.

"You know, you _look_ as if you're struggling to stay quiet."

How easily he picked up on my behaviour.

"Well, yes, I'd like to tell you something… but it's not the right time to do so."

He looked really confused at that, and I signalled to him that I'd tell him later. He didn't press the matter though, for he too, knew that our rooms could be bugged, my words had definitely ignited an interest in them though, for he looked excited, as if he was sure that whatever I had to say would help him out, and it would.

I had, earlier in the day, eavesdropped on the conversation between two trainers at the Training Centre when I had been going down for my interviews. They had been talking about the arena, and if I had heard correctly, and if they had been telling the truth, I had an important knowledge that nobody else did, which I could utilise to save myself from the Bloodbath.

"Rebecca," Max said, startling me again at the abruptness.

"Yes?"

He looked me in the eye, and for the first time ever I saw something close to tears in his own. What was the matter?! It crushed me to see his bleak eyes, and then he smiled at me bravely.

"This is going to be hard," he said, and I was surprised to see that he was the one getting emotional, I had never seen Max get like this before, "I-we have been together through so much and you've always been a constant in my life. Even right now, you're the only one who's… there."

And I knew how he felt, for I felt the same, and I gave him a tight hug. He was the only constant in my life too, and was irreplaceable. It scared me to think that tomorrow the two of us would be fighting to the death against twenty one people, and then even against each other, and soon I was crying too as he hugged me back.

In that hug were a lot of messages. We loved each other a lot, and neither would forget about this beautiful friendship if either of us survived. The hug also conveyed, however, that we were ready to do all it took to get out, and that included being each other's doom.

That kind of honesty… only Max was capable of it.

And in this moment, I was glad to have him with me.

 **Corinne Morwenna Salazar (12) D6F**

The silence of the night was deadly, and I wondered whether it was any indication of what would happen tomorrow.

I was supposed to be sleeping, but couldn't, staring blankly into space. It was possible that, by this time tomorrow, I'd be dead, and for some reason that wasn't bothering me much at all. I had imagined about tearful nights, and beating chest, but nothing, just an eerie silence that occupied my mind.

I missed Duncan a lot right now. I wondered what he must be thinking. Had I handled myself well enough to make him feel proud of me? I was glad he wasn't here, but I wished I could say a final 'I love you' to my big brother anyway. I was sure he missed me, and he missed Aris, and I fondly recalled the time that the three of us spent together, our family complete.

At the end of the Games, whatever the outcome would be, our family would be left broken regardless.

And it was this thought that made tears sting my eyes. Duncan would be robbed of a family member anyway, in the best case scenario, or he would be left alone to deal with this world. For his sake, and for the love of Aris, I hoped he was the one who got out alive. Duncan would need Aris to support him, and I loved Aris too much to even bear the thought of his death.

I let out a shaky breath and sat up. Sleep was not to come, I had realised that. I didn't know what to do though. It was forbidden to go on the roof, and I needed permission to step out of the suite. I didn't want to disturb Aris, who must be asleep. He needed rest to function well tomorrow. I wasn't feeling particularly hungry either.

I should have been scared, but all I felt was a numbness.

And so, I just stared out of the window at the beautiful and magnificent city, its lights dancing in an alluring way, and I let out another sigh. This was going to be a long night.

"Corinne?"

I turned around slowly to see Aris standing at the doorway. Of course, he would be awake. How could I have thought he'd be asleep?

"Aris."

"Can't sleep?"

"No."

He moved closer, and soon I was enveloped in the familiar embrace of my brother, the embrace that told me everything would be okay, that I was safe. The embrace I would remember till the end of my life.

"Come on, shall I make you a mug of hot chocolate?"

I looked at his face, and as usual, there was a sadness in his eyes despite the smile that he put up for me. I knew what he planned to do, how ready he was to sacrifice himself for me, and instantly I saw that he was dead, his head decapacitated, warm blood flowing across the gravel, his eyes staring into nothingness, and now I was crying, crying for all I was worth, falling on my knees. I screamed and screamed and _screamed_ his name, for Aris couldn't have left me alone like this, not when I was feeling so panicked, not when he knew how much he meant to me, not when he knew I couldn't stand it.

"Corinne!"

I could hear his voice, but he was dead, dead because of me, dead because he was the older brother, trying to protect the useless creature that I was. And now I was hallucinating, imagining his strong voice when it didn't exist anymore.

"CORINNE!"

Somebody shook me hard, and I was back in my room, and Aris was holding me tightly, looking concerned, but very much alive. He was shaking me repeatedly, and I blinked. He was fine…? He was fine!

"Aris… ARIS!"

And I threw my arms around him again, holding tightly, trying to memorise the feel of his arms around me, his smell, and the love that he emitted for me. My brother was with me right now, and if things would go well, he'd be the one walking out as the victor.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

 **Hi guys! So, I know this chapter might be a little rusty, because I'm feeling a little…strange today. Anyway, do let me know your thoughts on this chapter! We've seen the POVs from all the twenty-four tributes now, so let me know who you think will bite the dust in the bloodbath. We've one subplot chapter left, and then we'll have the Bloodbath, so things are about to get real.**

 **Guys, please note that if I kill off your tribute in the bloodbath, it's nothing against you. I had conducted a poll earlier, and I'm really basing the bloodbath deaths based on that and a few other things, but a personal problem is not one of them. Also note that screen time in pre-Games has nothing to do with the tributes being offed in the Bloodbath.**

 **Alliances:**

 **The Ultimate Warriors: Welton, Eritine, Julian, Venus, Atlas, Minerva, Ajax, Sylo**

 **Cute Kiddos: Keegan, Corinne, Farouka, Aristaeus**

 **We love Science: Max, Rebecca**

 **Allies Amidst Conflict with Third Party: Dexter and Misha**

 **And now, I have opened submissions for my new SYOT, Recrudesce and will be taking them till the final eight of MOL. Please do consider submitting, because I really enjoy writing your characters!**

 **Also, thank you everyone for 152 reviews! Means a lot!**

 **Have a great day!**


	22. Chapter 22

_The day of the Private Sessions…_

 **Matthew Hayes (29) Head Game Maker**

I couldn't hold the scream in as Nerissa's hand connected to my face, slapping me hard.

This had been continuing for a while now. I was on my knees, beaten by her men, and the Vice President was in no way done with me yet. And I deserved it, every bit of it.

"How could you let it happen?!" she screamed, towering over me as I spat out blood, feeling dizzy from the torture of the past couple of hours.

What could I say as to how I couldn't stop it? Ridge had been cutting dummies one moment, and was making a poison the other and soon he drank that poison and stabbed himself with the knife he had been using earlier… in a matter of seconds, almost as if he had planned it for some time.

"Answer me!" Nerissa screamed and kicked me in the stomach before slapping me again, but I kept quiet. Saying anything right now would make sure I ended up dead, and I didn't want that to happen.

I felt faint though, and I couldn't really process what else she was saying. All I could think was that this time, because of Ridge, it would get really hard for me to save any tribute. Nerissa was already investigating my case that I had helped tributes escape last year, and she needed just one proof to execute me.

And now, Ridge happened.

And I was falling on my side, my head feeling dizzy, and I just wanted to escape this situation and live somewhere in the mountains, away from humans, away from this drama, away from the Capitol and the Districts and the rebels.

"Take him to a hospital! Quick!"

* * *

I opened my eyes slowly, and was met with a very white ceiling, and I groaned. Every part of my body was hurting badly, and I couldn't even bring myself to sit up.

"Easy there."

A gentle hand touched my shoulder, sending intense pain shooting through my body, and I bit my tongue to stop myself from crying out. The person pressed a glass of water against my lips and I drank lustily, realising how dry my throat was.

It was then I noticed who the person was.

And I sat up quickly, in shock, for he shouldn't be here, he shouldn't be here at all.

"You shouldn't have moved so quickly," Regal said, and he gently pushed me back into my bed, holding my hand.

"Why the hell are you here?"

"I heard you were… battered."

Battered… what a word!

"You shouldn't be here. If anyone sees you-"

"They won't."

"Regal." I said in exasperation, "Regal, why are you trying to add to my headache?"

Honestly, I was more worried about myself than him. I was already in some deep, _deep_ mess, and if I was seen with Panem's most wanted terrorist right now… I didn't want to die.

"Matt, calm down," he said, stroking my forehead gently, "What happened is unfortunate, but please don't blame yourself."

"Regal, you don't get it! A tribute killed himself in front of me! Do you have _any_ idea what Snow will do with me? On top of that, we've a rebel among the tributes, we have tributes who are freaking murderers! And I'm not turning anyone in. if he finds out, Snow will burn me alive or something."

"Nothing will happen to you."

"It's not just about me!" I whispered angrily, "Last years' escapees are being hunted for across the country, Cress and Alan are being searched for, you have a bounty on your head! And then there's the Games!"

I let out an angry sigh, tired from speaking so much.

"I'm exhausted, Regal. I don't know how to cope with so much. When Alan was here as Julius, I just let him do whatever he could, and that honestly made my life so much easier."

He stroked my hand as I shut my eyes, my throat burning again. Nerissa had told me to break the news of Ridge's death to the country, because it was my fault, and I needed to recover by tomorrow night to not look weak on the camera.

"How did you get here?" I asked him, looking into his calm eyes.

"Oh, I just walked in."

And I believed that, because if there was something bizarre involved, he could definitely pull it off.

"And why are you here?"

And it was then I got scared, because he started chuckling quietly, a manic look on his usually composed face. I knew this Regal wasn't a human, but even when he was one… that person had literally carried out a suicide bombing operation. And he had looked just as mad as this Regal did now.

"Well, you'll have to wait till tomorrow to know _that_."

 _The Night Before the games, 3:00 AM_

 **Regal Winter (20) Rebel Leader**

The small, underground bunker that I occupied was equipped with everything that I needed. I watched the big screen as the Capitol slept, and I smiled to myself. Snow and Nerissa didn't even know that the majority of their enemies were from the very city they cherished and established as the supreme power. I was waiting for the call to make my next move, but for whatever reason, it was getting delayed. I drummed my fingers on the table, monitoring different parts of the city, the target clear, peaceful.

Snow wouldn't know what hit him.

I had been a nice guy for a long, _long_ time, and the other rebels carried out such operations at isolate locations to just scare the people here. Not anymore though, it was time to get serious.

It was time to draw blood.

And so, why not take the classic route? First a warning, then another, and finally attack? Why be considerate for the life of the enemies?

I wasn't so cold a few months ago, and I regretted it. Had I been as tough then as I was now, we would have made considerable progress. But really, I needed re-enlightenment to know how low the Capitol could stoop, how they trained their kids to be monsters, and how _I_ needed to be a monster to match their cheapness, because it _was_ their cheapness that got them so far in the first place.

The telephone rang, and I picked up the receiver, not saying a word.

"It's done," the voice said, "And I've gotten away. You can do it now."

"Thank you."

I let out a content sigh as I put down the receiver. Perhaps being a clone really had robbed me of my humanity, because I didn't regret what I was about to do. Holding up a small remote, like one for an air-conditioner, I weighed it in my hand. Now Snow would get the taste of his own medicine.

I pressed on the single blue switch, and in front of my eyes, on the screen, I saw the President's office blow up, followed by the headquarters of _Panem Now!_ and that was followed by an explosion at The Capitol Trade Centre, and in front of me these massive structures came crumbling down, engulfed in flames, and I could hear the screams of the people trapped in them, yet I felt nothing. These people had killed innocents for years, relished it, celebrated it. I had made sure that everyone who was supporting our cause had already evacuated the buildings, so I had nothing to worry about.

Making sure that my cameras had gotten good footage of the blasts, I put out the lights of my bunker, before turning on a small, blue light that just barely showed my face. I was ready to record my message.

I turned on the camera and smiled. It was time to show the entire country that I was back, that their leader had not abandoned them, that I was here to fight, and to tell Snow that I meant business. Even my fellow rebels didn't know whether I was alive or not, and I saw this as a great opportunity to assure them that I was.

"Hello Panem, I hope you're doing well. For those who don't know me, I am Regal Winter, son of the former President Albert Winter.

"I speak to you right now to let you know that I'm with you. I understand your pain, I understand your struggles, and I feel them as my own. I stand for equality for all, I stand for freedom, and I stand for love, something that majority of the citizens of this rotten country are denied. I'm here to fight by your sides, for your rights, for your happiness, for your liberation. I ask for nothing but your cooperation, and for you to show courage in the face of adversity.

"I now speak directly to you, President Snow. I, and countless other citizens from Panem have a few demands from you in order to establish peace and harmony in our country.

"Our first demand is that you abolish the Hunger Games with immediate effect. Every year, twenty-three children are forced to die for a no fault of theirs. Citizens of the Capitol, please do consider their plight by putting yourselves in their shoes. The Games won't look so entertaining anymore.

"Our second demand is to grant freedom to the Districts to hold their own elections to elect District Ministers, who will look after the affairs of the District and will have freedom to do so.

"Our third demand is to give equal rights to citizens from the Districts and to legalise inter-District travels.

"Our fourth demand is to conduct Presidential elections and to allow the Districts to participate in them. We also want a proper parliament to be established, with representatives from the Districts.

"Mr Snow, I hope you do consider my words, for the anger in your country is rising by the second, and you can already see what that rage can do.

"Panem, I'll talk to you soon. Please don't be afraid, and please don't panic. I'm by your side, always."

And I turned off the recording, smirking to myself. From now on, this recording was going to play continuously for hours, just enough to intimidate them. I had not made the demands with the intentions of them being made anyway, Snow wasn't going to give in that easily. However, this was a beginning.

Snow had _no_ idea what I had in store for him…

 _Next morning_

 **Nerissa Verity (47) Vice President of Panem**

We had had to impose a curfew ever since the explosions happened.

That had been so unexpected, so _bold_ , that I just couldn't believe it. How could this be happening? Our office, the Presidential Head Quarters was blown to smithereens, and some of our workers had been killed there. The Capitol was in a state of panic right now, and we had to triple our security forces, hunting for terrorists. Needless to say, the situation had never been this grim in Panem before.

I was examining the reports that I had gotten, when I received a call. Annoyed, I saw it was Matthew and so I answered it.

"What is it Matthew?" I asked, "Don't tell me you made a blunder again."

"Madam Verity, turn on the TV, quick!"

There was something in his voice that panicked me, and I hastily turned on the TV, turning to a news channel, as Matthew said that all the news channels were showing the same thing.

And I froze.

No way… no way could Regal Winter make an appearance like that, not on TV, not by himself. And in no way could he be taking responsibility for the blasts, and no way could he be speaking what he was speaking.

" _I stand for equality for all, I stand for freedom, and I stand for love, something that majority of the citizens of this rotten country are denied. I'm here to fight by your sides, for your rights, for your happiness, for your liberation."_

What was happening…?

"Madam Verity, please stop this!"

But how…? How?

" _Our first demand is that you abolish the Hunger Games with immediate effect. Every year, twenty-three children are forced to die for a no fault of theirs. Citizens of the Capitol, please do consider their plight by putting yourselves in their shoes. The Games won't look so entertaining anymore."_

I hastily dialled up the Broadcasting Department. How could they let him do this?!

"STOP THE BROADCAST!" I screamed, "STOP IT NOW!"

"We aren't able to do so! He's hacked into all our systems!"

" _Our third demand is to give equal rights to citizens from the Districts and to legalise inter-District travels."_

"Do anything that you must but STOP IT!"

" _Mr Snow, I hope you do consider my words, for the anger in your country is rising by the second, and you can already see what that rage can do._

" _Panem, I'll talk to you soon. Please don't be afraid, and please don't panic. I'm by your side, always."_

I turned off the TV and threw away the remote as if it was something filthy. This man… how did he… how did he?

"Snow," I whispered, "I need to meet Snow…"

And I set out for his home.

 **So, here it is! The final subplot chapter till the Games get over. I hope you guys enjoyed it. please let me know what you thought of it. I had so much fun writing this, and I hope you had fun reading this. Do you think Regal took a really big (and cruel) step, something that he might not be able to handle? What do you think Snow and Nerissa will do? And do you think Matthew's loyalties will be exposed?**

 **And now, the next chapter will be the bloodbath! Hope to see you all there!**

 **Have a great day!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Bloodbath**

 **Malakai Youngblood (17) D9M**

Why was I feeling so cold?

My hands were literally shaking as picked up the clothes I was supposed to wear, a green tank top, khaki shorts and black boots. This told me that the arena was going to be warm, but I still felt a chill go through my spine.

So, this was real, huh?

I could die in about half an hour. Really die… and the thought left me paralysed. I couldn't move as I stared at the bundle of clothes in my hands. These clothes were going to leave me terribly exposed to just about everything… was that a part of our punishment for Ridge's action? To make everything difficult for us?

And I didn't know when I fell on my knees, and when I buried my face in my new clothes, and when I started crying. I wasn't ready to die, I was so young…! I always wanted to come to the Capitol and stay here, for I loved everything about the place. But now… this place was going to claim my life, it was to snatch away from me something it had no right to take away. And I cried, I cried unabashedly, because it was now I was realising how much I had taken for granted, how fragile everything was. I had partied my life away, and now I yearned for my land, for my home, for my family, and I yearned for the life I might have to leave forever.

"Tributes, please change into your arena outfits. The launch will start in five minutes."

And there it was, these people couldn't even let me grieve properly. Shakily, I took off my clothes and wore the arena ones, feeling really cold. These were comfortable, but I just wanted to snuggle back into a blanket and be with my family. Was it too much to ask for?

I drank some water, not knowing when I would get to taste it next, and entered the glass tube, trembling with the thought of what was to happen.

And slowly, I started ascending…

 **Junova "June" Parkers (15) D10F**

My heart was beating as the tube rose, slowly like a snail, making me feel even more panicked. Everything was going to be okay, everything was going to be okay, _everything was going to be okay._

Blinding light hit me as the tube stopped moving, and I covered my eyes with my hands, the sun too strong for me. Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked around, trying to take in the arena.

In front of me was sprawling a large, lush meadow, hot winds blowing strongly, beating against my skin. The sky was a lovely blue, and in the distance I saw a forest, the undergrowth really thick, the trees short and tall, surrounding the arena in a semi-circle, and between the meadow and the forest was a stream with crystal clear water.

On the other side of the meadow I saw large, grassy lands, which disappeared into something like a lone cave. The grass was much yellower there, and the cave, that was supported by a plateau like structure, looked really uninviting.

I wiped the sweat of my forehead, already feeling heavy because of the heat, and then I looked at the centre of the lush meadow that acted like an intermediary between the two halves of the arena.

And I gasped, because I had not expected this.

There was a large bundle of hidden good in the centre, probably the supplies, marking it as the cornucopia, but it was covered by a silver cloth that reflected the sunlight so much that I had to squint to see it properly. All the supplies were hidden under the cloth, and I wondered how they got such a big piece of it.

And in the distance, I saw it, and my breathing hitched, for it was _beautiful._

There was something there like an altar, made of pearly white stones, and a lone bell hung there, the bell that looked as if it was from some ancient lands, sparkling like the brightest of golden jewels, spreading its grandeur by just hanging there, and my jaw dropped, because I had never seen something like this bell before.

"Tributes," Matthew's voice echoed into the wilderness, "Welcome to the Seventy-third Annual Hunger Games! I hope you'll give your best here and honour the Treaty to the best of your abilities.

"Before we begin the countdown, however, I must take the opportunity to introduce the Deserter's Bell."

 _The Deserter's Bell?!_

All the tributes turned to look at the Bell, it looking much more sinister and majestic now, and I felt a chill in my heart. What was this business?

"The Deserter's Bell has been set up to demonstrate the kindness of the Capitol. The majestic city, the Capitol, is kind, merciful, forgiving. To show this, the Deserter's Bell has been provided to you to use, if you may see fit.

"Any tribute can, on any given day except the first day of the Games, can ring this Bell, and quit the Games."

"WHAT?!"

There was a deadly murmur going across the wilderness, everyone looking at everyone else, confused, because this was too good to be true.

"In one day, only one tribute can use this Bell. While the Bell is ringing, there shall be no conflicts, physical or otherwise."

I let out a slow breath. There had to be a catch, there had to be something wrong with this. This was too good to be real.

"However, for this act of kindness, the Capitol will require a small payment from your families. The ever great Capitol, in return of this kind mercy, can inflict any punishment on the families of the tributes.

"And now, let the countdown begin. May the odds be ever in your favour!"

So _that_ was the catch.

I was still shaken up, as I saw all the tributes looking bewildered, hopeful, disgusted. And my eyes moved to the cornucopia, and it seemed that I was the only person who had noticed what was wrong with it.

A lesson I had learnt in my theft career was that if something that should be visible was hidden, it was best not to approach it.

And I was surprised to see that beside me, Arbor looked more puzzled about the cornucopia than the Deserter's Bell, and maybe he came to the same realisation.

Very well…

 **Dexter Noults (16) D11M**

 _Ten._

The Deserter's Bell was repulsive beyond anything. And yet, this was so tempting, so, _so_ tempting…

 _Nine._

I understood the reason why the use of the Bell wasn't allowed on the first day though, because I could see that so many people wanted to use it.

 _Eight._

I geared myself, glancing at Misha, who was on the opposite end, looking completely unfazed, unconcerned, as if she didn't care at all, and that was a problem. We were already too far away.

 _Seven._

On my right was Eritine, and on my left was Arbor, and they both looked determined. I saw Eritine and Arbor exchange a glance, and Eritine smirked at him menacingly.

 _Six._

It was then I noticed that Arbor's feet were positioned in a way to allow him to turn quickly and disappear into the forest, and he was glancing towards Raiza repeatedly, who was apparently not meeting his gaze at all. It was almost as if he wanted to tell her something.

 _Five._

My heart was throbbing in my chest now, and I stared at the cornucopia, or that silver cloth, whatever it was. I wondered what kind of things were underneath it. was there anything useful there?

 _Four._

I saw Eritine getting ready to pounce at Arbor, and now I was scared, because I was sandwiched between the two. Her target seemed unfazed though, and winked at her playfully.

 _Three._

This was it. everything was coming to a close now.

 _Two._

So close, so close.

 _One._

I had to get out of this mess anyhow. I couldn't afford to die right now.

"Let the Hunger Games begin!"

I stood rooted to the spot for a second, afraid that the mines would go off. Before anyone could do anything, four people moved. Junova was the first to react, and she ran so fast and so abruptly that by the time I had gathered my senses, she was almost near the forest. Next to me, Arbor was running after her too, and then I noticed Rebecca and Max race towards the cave on the other side, and the other tributes were running towards the Cornucopia, and I was running too, with only Eritine following after Arbor.

"Eritine, let him go!" Welton called out, "Secure the cornucopia!"

I didn't know what Eritine had decided, but I was there at the cornucopia, the silver cloth inviting me to lift it, and I stooped down, held the cloth, and took it off to uncover… nothing.

There were no supplies there, no weapons, just plain woods and stones.

This had to be the cruellest prank the Game Makers had ever played on the tributes, ever. No, there had to be something here! And I touched a tick to shove it out of my way, when the whole thing exploded, and all I could feel was my skin burning, all I could hear was my scream, and all I could sense was the end.

 **Welton Luxor (18) D1M**

"STAY BACK EVERYONE!" I yelled out, coming to a stop, as I saw that Dexter blew up, blew up to smithereens, just like that.

All the tributes came to a halt, but my eyes only saw the sheet of cloth as it burned with Dexter's body. There had been nothing underneath that… the cornucopia was a trick, a trick… we had _no_ supplies…

"Was there a bomb there?" Eritine whispered, "How are we supposed to get the supplies?"

"There are no supplies," I muttered, and I could see that a few tributes had heard me.

Now that we knew what the situation was, everyone was looking at everyone else, unsure of what to do. The non-Careers were debating what to do, they couldn't see any way now.

Well, _I_ did.

Monroe was the closest to me, and I pounced on her. She was strong, and struggled hard, kicking me in the gut, but I didn't let her go.

"No!" she gasped, and I snapped her neck, just as the second cannon of the day exploded.

My actions seemed to have brought out everyone from a trance, and now all the Outliers were running helter-skelter, trying to get away from here, to _anywhere_ , because we, the Careers, really were brutes, and we would devour anyone in our way. It was just unavoidable, and I hoped Monroe would pass on peacefully. If not, I was sorry, but I didn't regret it.

And I saw that Atlas had grabbed the boy from Twelve, Keegan, and I heard Ajax shout, "Not the kid Atlas!" but Atlas seemed to have not heard him, and I knew that this death was going to haunt me forever. Keegan's eyes were pleading as I heard his neck being snapped as well, and even as his cannon rung, a single tear dropped down his eye, hitting me straight in my heart, and Atlas, Atlas didn't feel anything. He simply tossed away the body as if it was something dirty, and I could feel a rising hatred towards the man…

Meanwhile, I heard Farouka's distressed cry and I saw her standing by the stream. Our eyes met, and she fled into the forest, beckoning her allies to follow, but they didn't make it far. Eritine and Aristaeus were fighting, and I saw Aris knee her in the gut, her breath exploding, but even as Aristaeus ran, Eritine grabbed his leg and pulled him down, digging her nails into his throat before proceeding to strangle him.

"Aris no!"

His sister, Corinne, was trying to fight Farouka's grip, but the older girl just pulled her along as fast as she could.

"Farouka, let me go! Aris, ARIS!"

And yet, Farouka, who looked scared out of her mind, dragged the wailing, struggling girl with her, even as Aristaeus fought for every breath here. No matter how much he hit Eritine, that woman was resistance to it all like a monster.

I would have watched more, but I was away from the other Careers, and that seemed to have given some tributes a wrong idea, for as one Audrey and Malakai attacked me, and I barely dodged it. I had no idea why they were picking a fight with me, but I fought back. They had no idea how to actually go about it, and one nice low kick was enough to get Malakai down, whereas I saw Julian come to my aid to fight Audrey. A cannon exploded, and I knew that it was Aristaeus, Eritine had been successful in eliminating him. I saw from the corner of my eyes Bina pull Misha away, ho had just been standing on her platform all the time, something all of us had simply overlooked.

Maybe I got distracted for a little too long, because Malakai punched me hard in the face.

That was the last hit he'd ever land.

I struck him between his legs and he doubled over in pain. That was enough opening for me, and I attacked him, attacked him at all the points where I knew I could do fatal damage, and Ajax was there too, and it was he who delivered the final kick, killing him instantly.

 **Minerva "Minnie" McCarthy (17) D4F**

This was not supposed to be happening, not at all.

Why on earth was Sylo attacking me?

I didn't really fight back, just avoided his attacks to figure out why he was acting this way. Was Atlas behind it? But the Careers had not really turned on each other, not yet.

"What's the matter?" I exclaimed as I dodged a punch from him.

"You're conspiring against the rest of us!" he cried out, "Everyone will thank me if I get rid of you!"

"I don't know where you got that idea from," I muttered, and spun around, kicking him in the jaw, sending him sprawling on the ground.

I could kill him now, I realised, and I could just say it was to defend myself, which would be partially true. And yet… I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

It would have been much easier with a weapon, a weapon could have done the job and while that would still be killing, at least it wouldn't be killing someone by my own hands. The very idea repulsed me. I had seen what had happened to Keegan, and I knew that I didn't have it in me to do the same.

And so, I stepped back from Sylo, looking around if anyone needed help, and I saw that probably Julian was facing the same issue as me. He was fighting Audrey fiercely, but his attacks looked… restrained, as if he was purposefully avoiding to kill her, as if this was all a pretence.

"Ajax!" Audrey said, glancing at her District Partner, "Ajax help me!"

My ally looked at her almost sadly, but didn't move an inch. No matter what, Ajax was not going to save Audrey, and he had made that very clear.

"Come on Julian, end it!" Atlas said.

I wanted to punch him in the face now. He had murdered a naïve twelve-year-old, and thought he had the right to shout orders at anyone else? He couldn't even take on anyone his own size.

Maybe I thought too soon, for I felt something coming at me by pure instinct. I ducked, and the kick passed over my head. I turned around to see Sylo, who attacked again even as I dodged it.

"Sylo stop!"

But he didn't, he just didn't, not until somebody grabbed him by the back of his tank top, and snapped his neck, and in a second Sylo was gone…

And he was killed by Atlas.

I stared at my District Partner in shock, a shiver going through my spine. He had killed his ally… his ally he had brainwashed against me… Atlas, what was wrong with you Atlas?

And I took just one step back, unsure of him. Who was he? A regular Career, a bloodthirsty murderer, or a psychopath?

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Was I okay? Who was this person trying to fool?! I had no idea why he had killed Sylo, but it was definitely not to give me a helping hand. And he had the nerve to play on my name?!

"That was unnecessary."

"He was trying to kill you."

"Because you've been turning everyone against me, Atlas!"

He frowned at me, probably thinking that I was so dumb that I wouldn't see through his act. What _was_ his problem?

"I don't know who told you that, but I just saved your life. Its high time you stop doubting me."

Well, that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

My mind was diverted when I finally saw Venus move, ambling towards Julian and Audrey, as if taking a casual walk in this meadow, and all of us came to a halt to watch her, except for Julian and Audrey. Maybe it was because Venus had not made a single move during the entire bloodbath, and all the Outliers had already left the meadow, but everyone was curious as to what she wanted.

On reaching the warring parties, she watched them both, watched how hard Julian was trying to pretend that he was putting up a fight, just because he didn't want to kill her, that he was as unwilling as I was, and then Venus pulled Audrey by her hair, throwing her on her stomach, and sat down on top of her, her arms choking Audrey's throat, and her weight pinning her down. I didn't know what brute strength she had, or maybe it was a technique, but Audrey stopped moving very quickly, and the cannon exploded, even as Venus got off her.

"Brilliant!" Eritine cheered, "That was quick, Venus!"

"Julian, _what_ were you doing?" Ajax asked bluntly, and I saw that Julian couldn't meet his eyes, or anyone's eyes for that matter.

"He was having fun," I said, and smiled encouragingly at Julian as he looked at me in surprise, "He was toying with her. Weren't you?"

"Yeah," he said, glad to have something to hold on to. If the Careers thought that he had _hesitated,_ that he had been drawing the battle because of the dilemma he faced, they would gang up and kill him.

"Yep, he toyed around even in the Academy," Venus piped up.

"Well, this isn't the Academy," Eritine remarked, before turning to me, "Where were you? And where's Sylo?"

"Sylo attacked me," I replied nonchalantly, trying not to remember the shock on his face when he was killed, "And Atlas killed him."

Welton looked surprised at that, and Ajax just frowned, but Eritine looked as if she had expected this all along. She sighed.

"Well, I'm glad Atlas, that you took care of that traitor."

And Atlas smiled at her, nodding slightly, before sitting down on the green meadow, looking around.

"Well, I guess we should make camp in the forest, but near the stream," he said, "We'll need water."

"Yeah," Ajax agreed, "But I don't think we should stay at one place for long."

And the Careers all trudged towards the periphery of the forest even as I hung back, because Julian still looked shaken up.

"It's okay," I told him, and turned towards Venus, who was still staring at Audrey's corpse, and I noticed her eyes, her beautiful eyes shedding tears for the life she'd taken.

 **Hello guys! So, firstly, I apologise for the haphazard and uneven lengths of POVs. It just… happened. Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? Did you like the arena? And what do you think of the Deserter's Bell? I had it back in The Garden of Roses in 2016, but since the two stories aren't in the same verse, I thought I could use it again. The arena may look simple, but it has a long of things in store for these tributes. Also, what do you think of the cornucopia fiasco? It's the first time I'm trying a weapon less bloodbath, and I hope it was somewhat okay. Are you sad to see anyone go?**

 **Eulogies:**

 **23** **rd** **\- Dexter Noults: Dexter was a really cool character, and I especially liked how blunt he was. He had a unique fashion sense, which was fun to write about, and I just liked him. Rest in peace Dexter, you'll be missed.**

 **22** **nd** **\- Monroe Alba: Monroe was really fun, and a really lively character to have around! She was just so unapologetic about who she was that everyone started enjoying seeing her. Sadly, she didn't get a lot of votes, and so had to go. Rest in peace.**

 **21** **st** **\- Keegan Devlin: Keegan was a cute little kid, and I knew a lot of you didn't like him for that. I honestly didn't get the hate for Keegan, because he was a lovely kid, and his background did warrant his naïve personality. I enjoyed writing him, and am sad to see him go. You'll be missed, Keegan.**

 **20** **th** **\- Aristaeus "Aris" Salazar: I loved Aris a lot. I loved his personality, his caring nature, his paternal love, and everything else about him. I loved how much he loved his siblings, because I find siblings like him very relatable, and I personally like sibling pair story once in a while. Most people don't though, and I'm really upset Aris didn't get many votes. I wished you could've gone further. Rest in peace.**

 **19** **th** **\- Malakai Youngblood: Malakai was the party kid, who only wanted to reside in the Capitol, and I enjoyed writing him. He was really fun, and I especially liked his thought process about everything. He was realistic, despite being slightly vain, and I liked him. You'll be missed.**

 **18** **th** **\- Sylo Shaw: Sylo was an interesting character, and I liked how his thoughts worked. He was cunning, he could do things by being selfish, but he could also have remorse, which was just beautiful. Sylo was, for some reason, not well liked by the readers, if votes are anything to go by, and so he had to go. Rest in peace.**

 **17** **th** **\- Audrey Delacroix: I liked how Audrey was a female mechanic, because we don't see that much. She was cool, and super realistic, and she was a good character. Rest in peace Audrey. You shall be missed.**

 **Okay, so I know that by normal standards this isn't a big bloodbath at all, but by my standards, this was huge, especially since there were no weapons. Please review guys and let me know your thoughts.**

 **Alliances:**

 **The Ultimate Warriors: Welton, Eritine, Julian, Venus, Atlas, Minerva, Ajax**

 **Cute Kiddos: Corinne, Farouka**

 **We love Science: Max, Rebecca**

 **Death List:**

 **Ridge- committed suicide**

 **Dexter- blew up at the cornucopia**

 **Monroe- killed by Welton**

 **Keegan- killed by Atlas**

 **Aristaeus- killed by Eritine**

 **Malakai- killed by Ajax**

 **Sylo- killed by Atlas**

 **Audrey- killed by Venus**

 **Have a great day guys!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Night One**

 **Max Paulson (15) D8M**

Seven cannons. The bloodbath had claimed seven lives already.

Thankfully, Rebecca and I weren't amongst them. She had overheard about the cornucopia earlier and had warned me to blindly follow her. I was sceptical at first; could she be tricking me? However, when I thought about it, it seemed highly unlikely that she'd want me gone so soon, and I was right, because now we were both alive, wandering in this cave that had split into two, not knowing where to go but still safe. The cave had brackets of flaming torches on the walls closer to the ceiling, making it easy to navigate.

"Let's settle down for the night, Max," she said and I was glad she suggested it. My legs hurt from the incessant walking, and I was hungry and thirsty and sleepy.

I leaned against the rocky wall and slid down till I was sitting quietly, watching Rebecca settle in front of me, looking very uncomfortable, and I felt guilty for not being considerate about her hunger and tiredness.

"Thanks, Rebecca."

She gazed at me softly, probably surprised but not showing it. She scooted over to my side and nodded before resting her against the hard wall, probably relishing the fact that, for some reason, the cave was quite cool. I didn't want to think about the heat outside, in the meadow. It had been scorching, unbearable, unrelenting.

We remained silent, and I felt at peace right now, my mind trying to keep the thoughts of impending doom at bay. Most likely, a situation would occur where I'd have to kill Rebecca, my best friend, my colleague. I wasn't looking forward to that day, to that moment.

All my life, Rebecca and I had given to the service of humanity by inventing things that made their life easier. Even the Ray Cat Solution served only one purpose; to save lives. And now here I was, here we both were, about to take other people's lives, turning into monsters we so despised, and the thought was too much to bear.

A life-saver would soon become a life-taker.

"Max!"

I snapped out of my thoughts, glancing at Rebecca, who had probably been calling me for a while now when I had zoned out.

"Yes?"

"Look up Max!"

Her excitement worried me slightly, and so I glanced up, at the ceiling... Only to find a wide open square-shaped opening there, probably a trap door. But it hadn't been there earlier!

We hastily got to our feet, ready to run from whatever it was, and my heart was racing. Was it a mutt? Already?!

However, what descended were two, very silver parachutes, carrying a bag each, and we were unsure for a second as to what to do as they both landed on the ground with a soft _thud._

"I-we've got sponsors?" Rebecca wondered aloud, her eyes showing her disbelief.

"We do!" I exclaimed, feeling much relieved all of a sudden. I hoped that the bags had some food and water. I remembered that, at the post-parade party, a lot of Capitolites had actually liked Rebecca, even if not me so much. That must be paying off right now.

I walked over to the bag, glancing up only to see the trap door like thing closing, and picked up the bag addressed to me. It had a note attached to it.

' _Use it wisely. – Chip'_

I wondered what Charles had sent that warranted such a note. I was certain he wasn't talking about food or water. I gingerly opened the bag to see that it had some bread, wafers and a two litre water bottle, completely full. However, it was the other thing that caught my attention.

It was a very thick and very long rope.

And I found myself smiling, Rebecca imitating it. She didn't have anything in her bag other than food and water, _loads_ of it, but the rope, the rope was the real deal.

I looked around, taking in the countless pointy stones in the cave and the many brackets of flames.

Things would get easy now.

 **Farouka Qadri (16) D12F**

The forest was hostile in the sense that it made it hard for us to penetrate.

The trees were ancient, the undergrowth really thick and some had roots that were tangled with one another's. I had stumbled countless times, fell on my stomach thrice, and there seemed to be no end to it.

Well, until Corinne and I stumbled across a small clearing, and I told her to stop since we were surrounded by trees that could work as shelter.

Corinne didn't disagree. She hadn't really said anything, done anything, and had walked only because I dragged her, her body alive but soul lifeless, eyes staring into nothingness. Even as I sat down, exhausted by the day's events, broken by the deaths of poor Keegan and Aristaeus, Corinne kept standing, staring blankly, unblinking, unflinching.

I sighed. It had been a lot to take. Keegan... He had been so innocent. I still remembered how his body had fallen limply on the ground. And Aristaeus...

I betrayed him.

I could've helped him when Eritine was strangling him to death. But I didn't because I was afraid, because I was a coward. And now I was trying to convince myself that he'd have preferred it this way. I wouldn't know though, and my brain accepted that it was giving such reasons only to make me feel better.

Well, at least _I_ was alive.

"Corinne, please sit down," I said kindly, worried about her. She was in deep shock and I had no idea how to make her normal again. I was sure she wouldn't survive, but I didn't want to be the reason for her demise. At least it didn't happen in Keegan's case.

She just stood there, limply, eyes staring into nothingness, as if she hadn't heard a word that I said.

"Try to relax," I pressed, "I'll go look for some food."

"Don't bother doing so for me."

And that's what she said, after hours of silence, her voice quietly angry, broken, mad. I frowned, why was she angry at me?

 _Just the shock._

"Corinne, dear-"

"Just leave, I don't need you."

"I don't understand... I'm here for you."

"JUST LEAVE!"

The sudden outburst surprised me. My heart started sinking when I saw that tears started trickling, her first tears since Aris' passing. I started walking towards her to give her a hug, but she stepped back.

"I could've saved him," she whispered, unable to raise her voice due to the rage in her, "If it hadn't been for _you._ "

"You couldn't have," I replied sadly, "He had no chance the moment Eritine caught him."

"Well, you saved our skin," she said bitterly, "But I hate you for your betrayal, Farouka. Get lost."

And her words hit me like a hammer in the chest. She hated me... _Hated_ me... And fear started consuming me, darkness surrounded me, as I saw nothing but Corinne's eyes, full of loathing, and I knew this was going to affect me because I'd never been _hated._ After all I did for her... She _hated_ me? For saving her life?!

Rage boiled in my heart as I glared back at her. I was trying to relate to her pain, trying to make her feel better, and this was how she treated me?! I was done with her!

Turning on my heel, I walked away from her. Let her rot alone, I could manage on my own.

I heard the chime of a parachute, and looked back to see a bag at Corinne's feet. I frowned. So she was getting sponsors and I had no resources? A part of me wished she'd share them with me, but when I saw that she just stared blankly at me, and I shook my head and resumed my walk, furthering the distance between the two of us.

 **Raiza Relic (12) D11F**

I wished I had interacted more with the Capitolites during the post parade party.

Maybe there would have been some sponsors for me? My throat was parched, my body weak and I didn't have an ounce of strength to move. I briefly contemplated going back to the meadow. The stream there had been clean, and my arid throat was desperate was desperate for a drink. I resisted the temptation though, both because I was too exhausted to move and because the Careers would not leave a known water source, especially on the first night, when they'd already had so many kills.

So I slumped against a very wide tree, the heat taking a toll on me, trying to relax, but knowing it was futile.

My eyes shot open when I heard the sound of breaking twigs. Alert, I tried to hide, but my body was just not cooperating. Before I could get behind the tree, he walked into my line of sight, a light smile on his face.

"Oh dear, you don't look good," Arbor remarked before rushing to me. I wondered _why_ he was so obsessed with me. I tried to move back but he was there before I could.

That's when I noticed he had a bag.

And he opened it, producing a water bottle and offering it to me. I stared, not knowing whether to trust him. The water could be poisoned but it was so tempting...

"It's not poisoned, Raiza. I told you I'm not out to kill you."

I didn't believe him though and he let out an exasperated sigh. Taking a sip from the bottle to prove his point, he offered it again. This time, I accepted.

The water was really warm, and it felt like drinking fire. I still drank though and I was grateful to him for sharing it.

Perhaps that wasn't the only thing Arbor had, for he pulled out a large packet of potato chips and tore it open, before offering me that as well.

"Why?" I asked finally. Resources were hard to get in this arena, and here he was, offering me not just water but also food, wasting his sponsor gifts on me. He shrugged, not bothering to answer my question and hesitatingly, I accepted the food as well.

"Thanks," I muttered, munching on the chips.

"You're welcome," he said, joining me in the munching, "You need to have some rest, Raiza. If you require food or water, just let me know."

I glanced at him, not detecting any sign of deceit on his tired face. Why was he helping me? The deal had been for a truce, not helping each other.

"Why?" I asked again.

He locked eyes with me, his gaze soft and smiled lightly.

"Even I don't know to be honest."

And of all the things I had heard, I believed this the most. People sometimes acted in ways they usually wouldn't, and for no apparent reason too. We remained quiet after that, eating, an amicable silence in the atmosphere.

"I don't want an ally, Arbor," I said softly.

"I know, I promise I'll leave in the morning."

And so, he stayed.

 **Hi guys! So, a very short chapter here! I was writing it in a free lecture on my phone, so I don't know whether this is any good. I'll probably have another short, death free chapter just to cover everyone's position. So let me know what you think of this chapter!**

 **Also, foxfox12 is writing an SYOT titled Deja Vu. Do submit to them! And also to Recrudesce, the form link is on my profile.**

 **Have a great day!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Night One**

 **Misha Windover (18) D9F**

I had never expected myself to survive the Bloodbath.

It didn't have to be this way. I had been in a trance back then, rooted to the spot, perhaps waiting for sweet release, I honestly didn't know, and then somebody was urgently pulling me away, away from death that I'd been waiting for, into the wild woods. The trees, the heat, all of them seemed to be working in sync to make life harder, but this person dragged me along, and I followed limply. I didn't really remember having any interaction with her, at any point of time, so why was she pulling me away? Why was I letting her?

And now it was night time. We'd found a hollow big enough between two trees to fit in comfortably, and this person had made a bed of sorts with leaves and soil so that it was soft and cooler. It was as if she was trying to keep herself busy for Bina Bishop hadn't spoken a single word to me till now. I watched her work as she gathered more leaves to make a pillow of sorts, the sponsor bags that we'd gotten tossed next to the hollow. My skin itched in the heat, bugs tried crawling my arms and legs from time to time but brushed them off.

"Do you want any help?" I asked finally.

"Huh? Oh no, I'm fine."

She's definitely trying to keep herself busy.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she replied, and turned to me, trying for a smile but failing so miserably that it was a grimace.

Silence prevailed as she worked and I found myself walking towards the bags, shocked that I'd received one too. I hadn't really checked what was in it, so when I unzipped it, it filled me with an abrupt sadness, for inside it were not only a water bottle and some fruits, but also a bottle of wine.

Malakai's face flashed in front of my eyes, and I sighed sadly. He'd been a nice guy, and this wine reminded me of him so much, he loved wines, he loved parties, but unfortunately he wouldn't be attending any of them.

"Alright, I'm done," Bina said and sat down on the ground, leaning against the 'bed' she'd made. Her hands were grimy and I suspected that was the reason she wasn't suggesting that we ate. I could help her eat though, she'd done so much for me even though I had no idea why.

On second thoughts though, maybe helping her clean her hands with leaves was a better option.

And so we got the grime off her hands, and I could feel her gaze boring into me. I ignored it and proceeded to take out the apple slices out of the bag, and then we were eating in an awkward silence, both of us probably thinking the same thing.

Why did she save me?

"Bina... Why?"

She looked up at me, eyes speaking a thousand sorrowful words, and at that moment I felt the kind of love towards her that I had never felt for anyone, the love one human was supposed to feel for another, the love between two comrades.

She didn't reply to my question, eyes downcast, silent tears trickling down, but no sound whatsoever. She couldn't talk about Ridge's suicide here in the arena, we'd been told our families would be punished if we did, and I knew how much she wanted to talk about it, to grieve in front of someone.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. She smiled weakly and nodded.

"I- Misha, I didn't know he was so ill."

That's what Matthew had said to the country, that Ridge was ill.

"Yeah, he always looked so strong and cheerful. Nobody could've thought he was fighting a disease."

Just like me.

"Bina... Thank you."

And I was filled with a rush of gratitude for this girl, a mere stranger, for caring when nobody did. And soon, I was crying too, overwhelmed by her goodness, knowing that there was no need for me to act all chirpy and happy around her, or around anyone, for that matter. Ridge had been happy, and so nobody knew what he was going through, nobody had cared. I did not have to fake happiness for people to whom I didn't matter.

And we stayed amicably quiet through the night.

* * *

 **Day Two**

 **Arbor Basswood (17) D7M**

Even the mornings in this arena were unbearably hot.

I was sweating profusely, tempted to throw some of the water on my head to cool myself down, but decided against it. I had been up all night, letting the kiddo sleep, and now I felt bleary and exhausted. I wasn't going to show it though, otherwise Raiza would think I was trying to make excuses for not leaving her alone.

"Thank you Arbor, for all your help," the kid said, smiling just a little, her smile screaming at me, 'GET LOST!' and I chuckled quietly to myself.

"You're welcome," I replied and picked up my bag, tossing a small bottle to her, "See you later."

"Alright."

"I'm leaving, Raiza. Bye."

"Bye Arbor."

And I walked a few steps, knowing she knew I would stop again and I grinned before turning around.

"Bye Raiza. Take care!"

"You too."

And I walked a few more steps, walking in slow motion, waiting for her to stop me, knowing well she wouldn't.

"I'm keeping my word Raiza. Bye-bye."

"Thank you so much Arbor, for keeping your word."

I stared at her smug face for a second and then grinned. So the little brat wasn't going to ask me to stop anyway? Very well... I'd miss her. This time I set off for real, not looking back once. And she still didn't call me. Perhaps she didn't trust me, although I couldn't understand why. I just needed a clever companion with me, was it too much to ask for?

I didn't even realise how far I'd ventured, but the air was even hotter now and I fell on my knees, the pebbles and twigs piercing my bare skin. I could see white fumes around me, swirling almost lovingly, and I stood up, panicked, but feeling weak. What was this white thing?! It was almost like quick sand, except that it was rising, and soon I was engulfed by it completely, shutting my eyes tightly, hoping these fumes weren't poisonous.

I almost had a heart attack when I reopened my eyes.

There, in front of me, was me.

The other Arbor looked at me cruelly, walking towards me even as I felt paralysed, staring at the boy. The other me gently touched my face. This person... This person, my greatest enemy... I knew this encounter wasn't going to end well. I tried to swat his hand away, but I couldn't move, not even an inch, and soon he had pushed me down onto the rough ground and he was on top of me.

No...

And I was crying as he-I- tore open my shirt, attacking me as I lied on the ground defenseless, unable to move, unable to fight, unable to even plead. His rough touches sent shivers down my body, and my vision thankfully became blurry because I didn't want to see, I couldn't bear to see what he was doing to me, how he was violating me. I just wanted to die, die just now, but this person, this monster wasn't going to do that, he wasn't, he wasn't. Not until he destroyed me completely, made me hate myself, made me hate my body. I tried to push him off again as he spread my legs apart.

"NO PLEASE NO! PLEASE STOP I BEG YOU!"

And it stopped.

I opened my eyes and got up, stumbling. The other me wasn't there, nobody was there, I still had my clothes on, I was untouched.

Those white fumes... They had made me see things... How long had I been lying on the ground, crying, writhing, as I went through that hallucination? I didn't want to think about it, how it had felt so real.

I went down on my knees, crying. Why did they do this to me? They had no right, no right to torture me like this! Had they been able to see what had been going in my head? Were they shown my loss of dignity for some entertainment?

And I was howling now, not caring who would find me. I had felt it, I had felt my body being used, I had felt the pain, both physical and emotional. They had no right, they had no right...

And I fell sideways, darkness consuming me even as the tears continued to fall.

 **Julian Arum (17) D2M**

Minerva, Venus and I had ventured into the forest in search of berries, or animals, whichever came first.

Yes, we did receive sponsors, but we decided we needed to conserve the resources and should hunt for food instead. As Minnie and I didn't get a kill, we were asked to go find food, and Venus just tagged along, saying the others bored her.

So here the three of us were, trying to find something edible, with Venus being the only one with a weapon, a nice, sleek sword. It was alright, neither Minnie nor I needed weapons to fight off tributes and Venus could handle the animals.

At the moment, my District Partner was walking a few steps ahead of Minnie and I, and I kind of knew why. I had never thought Venus would have that kind of sense, but I was glad she did. Ever since the Bloodbath, Minnie and I had a lot to talk about.

I had no hesitation in opening up to this girl. There was something about her that just... Comforted me. While Venus' presence was like a sibling's, Minnie just felt like a long lost friend. I wished I had known her before. It kind of made me sad that we met in these circumstances but it was still better than not meeting at all.

"Julian, why were you stalling it?"

I honestly didn't want to answer this question, because how was I supposed to explain that I didn't want to kill despite being a Career, that too from Two? I remembered how well and hard Audrey fought, and how I didn't want to hurt her, how much I felt, in that moment, that she deserved a chance to live.

"I... Don't know."

And she nodded, understanding clear on her face and I knew I had to ask her about yesterday.

"Why didn't you kill Sylo?"

"Just like that," she shrugged, and I knew it wasn't completely honest. I hadn't been entirely truthful to her either, so I couldn't really say anything to that.

"Why did you volunteer, Minnie?"

"For the glory," she replied automatically, "It's a great honour."

"And?"

She knew that I knew she was telling only half the truth, and so she sighed, "Well, I'd also like the reward money. I have a sister, Michelle, and she was born as Michael. She wants to undergo surgery and I think the reward will be useful for that."

"Oh, so you're doing it for your sibling?"

"Yes. What about you?"

And her tone suggested that it was an incomplete question, that it should have been 'What about you when you can't even kill?'

"My little brother, Augustus, is very sick. I wanted to volunteer anyway, but decided to do so this year instead of the next so that I can win the money and get him treated."

She paused and looked at me as I finished speaking, her beautiful eyes full of compassion and I wondered how come I'd never noticed how gorgeous she was, how kind, how perfect. I didn't realise when I had put my arms around her, burying my face in my friend's hair, and I was relieved when she hugged me back, both of us fully aware that there were things we couldn't say on the camera, but relating to each other nonetheless on the grounds of being hesitant to kill, on being too human for this arena.

We released each other and she ruffled my hair gently, making me grin sheepishly.

"Oh goodness, there's nothing in this damned arena!"

Venus' outburst brought me back to where we were, hunting for food. My District Partner just looked irritated right now, and tired, very tired. She angrily opened her bag and dug out the water bottle, drinking at a rate that would finish the whole bottle pretty quickly, and I didn't have it in me to stop her. She looked exhausted, not having slept at all last night, and she pulled at her hair in frustration, instead of the usual twirling.

And then she sighed sitting cross-legged on the ground as we watched.

"Guys, all the three of us have bags," she said, and Minnie and I exchanged a look. What was this about?

"I had told you during training that I was afraid that either Sylo or Ajax was in danger from Atlas, and I turned out to be right. You both didn't get kills in the Bloodbath, so Atlas, and everyone else, is going to treat you like *** and I don't like it."

"What are you suggesting?" Minnie asked, and it looked as if she already knew what Venus was suggesting.

"We have to make a separate team."

"Venus, I don't think we should do that!" I exclaimed, "Not at this stage!"

"This stage is the best stage to act, Julian."

"I agree with Venus," Minnie said, "Staying with the others isn't going to work in our favour."

I looked from one girl to the other, and I knew they were right. But the others were more in number, should we really get away so soon? But both the girls looked determined on this, and I'd rather stay with them than the others so I sighed.

"Alright, I'm in."

 **Hello guys, here's another short, death free chapter. I typed this again on my phone, so I hope it isn't too bad. I think it got a little dark in Arbor's POV, I've never written anything like that before, but I don't think I need to rate the story M for that. So if you are wondering what happened to him, I will take you back to the time when the tributes were ordered to wear beanies while sleeping. A lot of you had guessed its purpose right, that the beanies were used to find out the tributes' secrets and fears. If you recall chapter 22, Matthew had talked about the tributes being murderers and rebels, this is how he knew.**

 **Next chapter, we'll catch up with June and the other Careers, and also have a death, I guess. So, what are your thoughts on this chapter? Will Misha and Bina continue to be there for each other? Will the unconscious and vulnerable Arbor be found... And killed? Do you think the trio made a right decision to separate from the rest of the alliance? Let me know in your reviews!**

 **Also, a gentle reminder that the submissions for Recrudesce are open and the form link is on my profile. I've received some great submissions, and can't wait to get more!**

 **Have a great day!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Day Two**

 **Ajax Volt (18) D5M**

In all the Games that I had watched, I'd never seen a Career alliance be so silent.

Welton and I were sitting next to each other on the soft grass, whereas Eritine just stared at the Deserter's Bell, and Atlas was simply pacing the meadow.

Whenever I looked at him, the image of him killing Keegan flashed in front of my eyes. It wasn't the act itself that bothered me, it was the way Atlas had simply disregarded the corpse, as if it was something dirty, the fact that killing a small kid didn't affect him at all, that disgusted me. Boys as young as Keegan lived in my orphanage, and I knew how much I loved them. Yes, sometimes, I had to be tough, but just killing someone so young and feel nothing?

I sighed. I didn't help Audrey either. I remembered the way she had looked at me when she asked for help… and I had refused. I was doing what I had to to survive, and I wold continue doing so, but that didn't mean seeing Audrey die didn't hurt.

"What's taking them so long?" Atlas barked, and I rolled my eyes. Was there any chance that the three of us could gang up on him and finish him off?

"Maybe they are in trouble?" Eritine muttered, and started plucking grass of the ground, looking so bored that I kind of felt bad for her. However, I knew she wasn't really saying what she felt, the girl was too smart for that. Our eyes met, and as she smiled, I couldn't help but return, reaching the same conclusion.

Of course, it was inevitable. Atlas had been right, Minerva, Venus and Julian had gotten too close, so close that they were a separate team altogether. Here we all waited, hoping to know what the rest of the arena was like, and Atlas was too blind to realise that the trio had fled already, that they weren't coming back, not unless it was to kill the rest of us.

Welton nudged me slightly, and I glanced at him. His eyes went to Atlas, then Eritine, who was looking at us and shaking her head, and then back at me, and I bit back a chuckle. All the three of us had understood that our 'allies' weren't coming back, that we needed to start tribute hunting of our own, but we stayed back and watched the frustrated guy from Four walk through the meadow, face flushed with the heat of the arena and his own impatience.

I leaned against Welton, and I felt his body give a slight shiver at the touch. I ignored it though, and whispered in his ear even as Eritine went back to plucking grass, probably devising some strategy, "I think we should split too."

He gave me a look and I shrugged. I knew it would be awkward to be alone with Welton, for he most likely was attracted to me, but it was still better than staying with Atlas, or teaming up with Eritine. She was just impossible to figure out, and I couldn't really tell what she _really_ was. Was she the sweet, helpful girl? Was she a manipulative witch? I trusted Atlas more than her, in all honesty.

"Don't you think that'll paint targets on our back?" Welton whispered back, and I glanced at Eritine again to see if she was noticing our conversation.

"We can get away tonight. Or we'll be stuck with him."

I looked pointedly at Atlas, and Welton sighed softly. He nodded, and I pulled away from him, even as the Four boy stormed over to the three of us.

"Guys, they should've been back now, right?" he asked, feigning worry, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"Maybe they got lost," Welton said, "I mean, the forest looks quite dense. I don't think losing your way in there is that hard."

"Maybe you're right," Alas sighed, "I just hope they're okay."

Eritine raised her brows at his words, shaking her head as I nodded. I wondered whether Atlas knew that literally all of us knew about how fake he was, and how he had manipulated Sylo into attacking Minerva. I personally didn't really see him as a very big threat despite him having the highest kills now; in the alliance, it was Eritine who I had to watch out for.

At the moment though, the earlier silence returned, and I went back to gazing at the stream.

 **Night Two**

 **Corinne Morwenna Salazar (12) D6F**

I still couldn't believe that he was gone…

I could see him everywhere, reaching out for my hand, smiling encouragingly at me, telling me how much he loved me. But whenever I tried to touch him, he vanished. He simply vanished…

The weight of the bag seemed to have multiplied several times, and I fell down on the ground, the pebbles and the twigs and the dirt piercing my skin, drawing a little blood from my knees. It didn't matter though, I had to bear this pain, for _him._ I knew Aris was watching over me, he had _always_ watched over me, and he was going to be so proud when I would walk out of here, alive, a victor.

But first…

My grip tightened around the dagger's handle, a sponsor gift that I'd received. There were a lot of things I could use it for, but I planned on doing only one thing with it.

As I stood up shakily, the weight of the bag dragging me down, I stared at the shiny blade. I didn't know how the stars and the moon managed to shine so brightly that I could see the blade clearly, but I was glad they did, for I could see _her._ My hands were trembling now, itching to use this dagger on her, cut open her throat, pull out her heart, and stain this shiny blade with her red blood. I'd never had this kind of thoughts before, but I hadn't been in such a situation before either.

I let out a chuckle as I continued staring at the blade. She wouldn't know what hit her, for I was sure she was underestimating me. It didn't matter.

I had to attack tonight, because I just couldn't wait to get my revenge. Poor Aris… he had never wronged anyone in his life! Why did he have to go through this?! I gritted my teeth angrily and shut my eyes, my imagination taking over as I saw blood, _her_ blood, splattered across the green grass, her face etched with fear, her eyes pleading. But she deserved no mercy, _no mercy_ , and she wasn't going to get any. She was going to hell, no matter what it took.

I heard something that made me open my eyes, ending the mental video that I had played, and I turned around slowly to see if anyone was approaching, holding the dagger tightly. I saw a figure run past, and I narrowed my eyes to get a better look.

It was a girl, with a _huge_ bag, and I realised that it was Junova. I ducked, hoping she wouldn't see me; I was no in the state of mind to confront anyone right now. Thankfully, Junova didn't notice me at all, and just ran past, looking back continuously, and I wondered what she was running from. My blood turned cold as I thought of mutts. Were some mutts after the girl from Ten? Were they coming?! I was panicking now, I hadn't even had my revenge! I strained my ears to listen to any sound, but none came. Were those mutts silent?

Or…could it be that there were no mutts?

I recalled the bag that Junova had been carrying. Was it- was it stolen? I gasped; that could be the case! A relieved sigh escaped me as I leaned against one of the trees; most likely there were no mutts involved. I could carry out my plans, at the moment there was no danger.

Very well, maybe it was time I ventured out to get my vengeance.

 **Eritine Hadron (18) D1F**

I hadn't realised when I had dosed off, and I didn't understand for some time what had woken me up.

However, I felt it, and I quickly snapped awake and rolled over, even as the knife came crashing down.

Appalled, I stood up groggily, somewhere between asleep and awake. A tiny figure stood in front of me and I frowned. Who was it? who had attacked me?

And she ran forward, the dagger glinting even in the moonlight, and I reacted a little too late in stepping out of the way, the blade slashing my arm, blood oozing and I let out a yell.

"What happened?" Atlas' voice drifted over to me, and I groaned. So he had fallen asleep too!

The figure attacked again, but this time, I was ready. As she lunged at me, I dodged her attack and grabbed her arms, twisting her over so that she was pinioned in my arms even as Atlas came running to me.

"You?" he remarked, even as I made out the angry face of the girl from Six. I scoffed. Why on earth was she attacking me?

"Let me go you witch!" she screamed, "And I'll teach you a lesson!"

" _You_ will teach _me_ a lesson?"

"I will kill you!" she screamed, angry tears pouring out of her eyes, and it abruptly dawned on me why she had attacked me.

I had killed her brother yesterday.

I pursed my lips as the child struggled against my grip. What to do? If I killed her, it would leave a bad impression of me on the Capitol. If I let her live, she could get dangerous. Just because she was twelve didn't mean she couldn't harm me, and I had seen that moments ago. Had it not been my instincts because of years of training, she would have had killed me.

But I couldn't kill her, no. I knew for a fact that the Capitolites weren't fond of tributes when they killed the 'cuties', and Corinne certainly was one. So what could I do…?

My eyes landed on Atlas, and I smiled to myself. This was perfect.

I loosened my grip just a bit and Corinne wriggled out of it, turning towards me in fury, hell-bent to get a revenge.

"Corinne, I don't want to hurt you," I said, keeping my voice level. Now, everything depended on how well I had read Atlas till this point. The girl in front of me let out an angry yell, something like a war cry, and shoved her hand holding the dagger forward…

… before slumping down sideways, a knife jutting out of her neck.

The cannon exploded into the distance, and I stared at the lifeless body of the kid, laughing internally, looking shocked on the outside.

"Are you okay?"

I looked up at Atlas and nodded.

"Y-yeah," I whispered, "I- Atlas, was it-was it necessary to kill her? She is, she _was_ , just a little girl…"

"That doesn't matter to me," he scoffed, and I fought the urge to smirk. He was painting himself into a villain, and I found it laughable. On one hand, the Capitol made kids fight to the death. On the other, they got angry on the death of a 'cutie'. Whatever it was though, it was working in my favour. The kid was gone, and I didn't have to get my hands dirty, my _friend_ did it for me.

Atlas got me some leaves from the periphery of the forest even as I started washing the wound on my arm. As I tried to cover it with the leaves, I noticed something.

 _Why did I not notice this before?!_

"Atlas," I said urgently, "Where are the others?"

He looked up sharply, and I realised he hadn't noticed it either. He started looking around, but there was no sign of either Welton or Ajax, except their very apparent absence, and the absence of their bags and weapons and… oh goodness…

"They're gone!" he exclaimed, "And, where the hell is my bag?!"

Saw that my own bag was still there, and I let out a really low chuckle, something that would be inaudible to him. Oh well, so our friends decided to split up after all.

And they left such a pleasant surprise for Atlas too.

 **Hello all, here's another short, mobile typed chapter. I'm afraid this chapter isn't the best, and I apologise for that. I think Eritine's POV got a little rushed, but it's hard to correct things on phone so…Anyway, I'd like to know your thoughts on the chapter.**

 **Eulogies:**

 **16** **th** **: Corinne Salazar- Oh Corinne, you were such an amazing kid. I personally found her to be really believable twelve-year-old. Like, she was sheltered and sweet, but realistic and a really good character overall. I really enjoyed writing her whenever I did, and I'm sad that this happened, but it was time for her to go. Rest in peace kiddo, you'll be missed.**

 **So, we've had some more things happening here. Firstly, the trio left the Careers, and then Welton and Ajax left too, leaving only Eritine and Atlas, and I must say, what a pair! For those who are wondering who took off with Atlas' supplies, it was Junova. I love her so much, and once Atlas finds out, he'll want revenge more than ever! XD**

 **So, we have four more POVs (?) to go in order to let everyone have at least one in-game POV, and before I can start the cycle again. :)**

 **Alliances:**

 **The Golden Trio : Julian, Venus, Minerva**

 **Double Trouble: Welton, Ajax**

 **LOL What Even?: Eritine, Atlas**

 **We love Science: Max, Rebecca**

 **United by Grief: Misha, Bina**

 **Uh… : Raiza (?), Arbor (?)**

 **Death List:**

 **Ridge- committed suicide**

 **Dexter- blew up at the cornucopia**

 **Monroe- killed by Welton**

 **Keegan- killed by Atlas**

 **Aristaeus- killed by Eritine**

 **Malakai- killed by Ajax**

 **Sylo- killed by Atlas**

 **Audrey- killed by Venus**

 **Corinne- killed by Atlas**

 **Oh goodness, Atlas has three kills… Damn. Anyway, are there any alliance you guys are rooting for? And any predictions you'd like to make? Let me know!**

 **Have a great day!**

 **PS: Do submit to Recrudesce if you haven't already, the link's on my profile. XD**


	27. Chapter 27

**Day Three**

 **Bina Bishop (15) D3F**

The air was hot even as the day dawned, and I was feeling sticky with sweat, wanting nothing more than a shower. My skin itched, and I must be attractive to all the insects and bugs of the jungle.

And yet, I kept lying in the make shift 'bed' that I'd made, Misha sleeping soundly next to me, her soft snores comforting me in an inexplicable way. Right now, I had time to think, and that was exactly what I didn't want to do. So, I listened to her snores, and swatted away the bugs that came near me, doing my best to not think, as thinking would hurt.

But human mind was complex, and often ended up doing what you didn't want it to do, and so my brain did exactly what I didn't want it to, to _think._

He had been such a lovely person... I remembered how he had supported me countless times, how he had been so affectionate, how he used to look at me... And I didn't even realise when I had started crying. I remembered the last hug he gave me, just before... Just before he did _it,_ and I bit on my lip to stop myself from sobbing audibly. I recalled the time when I met him, in that fair back home. How long had it been? I couldn't remember, but it felt like a century.

My thoughts were unclear. I could see Ridge smiling and then his face had turned into Da'at's and I couldn't help but let out a sob. My brother... I missed him. It hit me, in that moment, that maybe I wouldn't be able to see him again after all, nor my parents, and now I was trembling, trembling at my loss, my big, big loss, the loss of love and life, and now I yearned to see them once more, hug my family, laugh with them, and relive all the moments that I had spent with them.

 _Bina, you're strong._

That's what he had said, that's what Ridge had said, right before he went ahead with his plan. I wanted to laugh, maybe the humourless voice would help me get out of my chain of thoughts. He had said that he was weak and that I was strong.

Why didn't I feel strong then?

Why did I just want to crumble, to cry, to grieve, to escape, to go back into the loving embrace of my family? Why didn't I feel that I had any spirit to fight, to struggle, to plan, to play? He had told me to win this—this _Game_ , but why couldn't I find the strength for it within myself?

I swatted away a fly absently, turned to look at Misha. How peaceful she looked! I remembered how she'd been rooted at the spot during the Bloodbath, and one look at her face had told me why.

I didn't want to have another Ridge episode so soon.

Right now, I was glad to have her beside me. Usually, I wouldn't yearn for human companionship, but her presence was more than just comforting, it was almost like a need, a need to have fellow human beings around.

I smiled lightly as she stirred in her sleep. She looked so much at ease right now, probably she was dreaming of happy things. Well, at least someone felt easy. I brushed a bug off her arm and then leaned back into the bed. It didn't give me any comfort, but the leaves in front of the hollow worked well as a cover, and I wanted both of us to be well rested before we got out.

I shifted in my spot and shut my eyes, trying to relax myself, and thinking about my life back home.

 **Venus Hallow (17) D2F**

The other two walked a few steps ahead of me, talking about their homes and their lives and I listened to them silently. Now, being silent wasn't really my forte, but I was very hungry and I was feeling dizzy. I didn't say anything though, there was no point in bothering them. They would force me into eating the food that we had, but they didn't understand. We needed to ration our resources, because we didn't know when and if we were to get any sponsors hereafter. The two had been indulging in the food despite me telling them not to, and I had gone pretty much hungry due that.

Maybe that decision was taking a toll on me.

My sword dropped from my hands, and I slumped forward, the world spinning and somebody caught me before I fell.

"Venus?!" Minnie's cry reached me as Julian lowered himself to the ground, resting my head on his lap.

I tried to open my eyes but my vision seemed to be rotating, almost as if I was looking through a kaleidoscope, and I shut my eyes again. Somebody, I guessed Minnie, forced open my mouth and stuffed food in it, forcing me to chew, as Julian continued to massage my head. She then forced me to drink water, before settling down beside me and rubbing my palms.

"I had told you to eat, you buffoon!" she exclaimed, voice full of concern.

"This idiot doesn't listen to anyone," Julian muttered, and chided me as I started opening my eyes, "Keep them shut you fool!"

Despite myself, I let out a weak chuckle, only to have my arm slapped by Minerva. Even as my head spun, and I felt I would faint any moment, I couldn't help but appreciate their kindness. Oh, who would have imagined getting such friends in the arena! I acknowledged that they could have killed me right now if they wished to, they _should_ have killed me, but they didn't. They were trying to help me, using their precious resources on me and I heard Minnie make an appeal to the public to sponsor me some medicine. I smiled; these two were indeed gems.

"I should be able to do more!" she exclaimed, bitterness evident in her voice. There she went again, always taking things so seriously, always criticising herself.

"She'll be fine, Minnie," Julian said, probably to ease, "You'll be fine, right, Venus?"

I was too dizzy to speak so I weakly gave them a thumbs up, trying to grin. Minnie sighed in exasperation.

"She can't even _speak_ Julian!" she remarked, "I-I'll go and see if there's anything I can find to help her."

"No..." I whispered, "I'm fine. Honestly."

"You don't _look_ fine, Venus."

Before I could argue with her, a _chime_ sound echoed in the air, and I felt something hit the ground. I heard Julian and Minnie thanking the sponsors, and I knew it when someone pushed a bottle to my lips, a warm, sweet syrup trickling down my throat.

I didn't know how much time had passed since I drank that medicine. My friends remained quiet, and Julian kept on massaging my head gently.

Most probably I had received this medicine because of killing Audrey.

I felt as if bile was rising inside me. I didn't want to think about it, how I had killed her. It had been a necessary evil, which just had to be done. That didn't mean I was particularly happy or proud about it though.

As I rested, I realised that I'd have to kill Julian and Minnie...

 _No! Stop!_

I sat up.

"Whoa! You got better quite fast!" Julian exclaimed. I tried to speak, but before that, Minnie had taken me in an embrace.

"I'm glad you're okay!"

I blinked, and gingerly wrapped my arms around her. I didn't deserve this, I didn't deserve such nice people, such _friends,_ especially in the arena. I didn't know how I would, whether I could, bring myself to kill them.

"Well, uh, thanks guys," I said, grinning at them, the dizziness reducing to a dull pounding in my head. I glanced at Julian, who had a relieved smile on his face, and just to feel better, I pinched his cheeks.

"What the hell!" he cried out angrily, "What was that for?!"

I shrugged even as Minnie laughed out.

"Julian you look as red as a tomato," she giggled and my District Partner scowled.

"You were better off dizzy and weak," he grumbled, and I laughed. The mood was getting much lighter, and I pushed my concerned thoughts away. However, it was when I saw _them_ that my smile disappeared from my face.

"We weren't expecting to find you guys here..."

 **Rebecca Ravensway (15) D8F**

The food and the water that we'd been sponsored had depleted to almost nothing now, and I knew in my heart that we'd have to venture out soon. Nobody else was going to sponsor us if we stayed here, in the cave, and it was a shame we'd have to take off the trap that we'd set up.

Max, however, didn't seem to agree on the urgency of leaving this place, and I didn't get it. He was insistent on waiting, waiting for something to show up, and I feared that he _wanted_ to get a kill. That was something that I couldn't expect from my friend; Max had always worked to serve humanity. But he had changed... He had changed slowly and gradually since he got Reaped, and he was turning into this cold person, this untrusting person I couldn't recognise.

"Max, we should be leaving."

"Rebecca... I'm staying. You can leave if you want."

I frowned at him. Why on earth was he talking like this?! I stepped up to him, and asked, "Why are you being this way?"

"What way, Rebecca?" he snapped, "I'm trying to survive here, alright? I'm not going to pull off some foolhardy stuff just because you want to gather their attention."

"I want _attention_?!" I exclaimed. I couldn't believe it, that's what he thought of me?! That I was attention seeking, that I wanted to risk our safety for some cheap _attention?!_

"Well, what else? You've been itching to get some spotlight because you think it can help you get out alive!"

"Max, I..." my voice faltered, and I didn't even realise when my eyes started stinging, tears rolling down. We'd been best friends for so long, inseparable, unbreakable. And today he was... I turned away from him, not knowing what to do. I was hurt by his words, and I was sure he knew it too. And yet, he said nothing.

"I can't believe you," I whispered, "I can't believe that's what you think of me, Max. I won't desert you..."

"Oh really?" he shot, "So you're saying that you won't desert me? That your consistent prodding about leaving this place isn't some stunt to get more sponsors, and then finish me off?"

"Do you even understand what you're saying, Max?!" I yelled at him, "Do you think I'll- I'll- kill _you_?!"

"I don't know, maybe you will!"

I stepped back from him, unable to believe my ears. He really thought...? How could he think that way?! We were best friends... How could I...?

It was the sudden movement that brought me out of my angry trance. I whirled around to see that one of the torches were bending forward. Somebody had arrived.

Max and I stepped back, and I grabbed his wrist.

"We need to get away!"

He had turned pale now, and nodded, and we started running even as I heard one of the flames fall, followed by countless stones and rocks. No human could have survived being hit by so many things at once, along with being caught up in a noose that we'd made from the rope, pretty much holding them in place.

So why hadn't the cannon exploded yet?

"MAX WE NEED TO GET AWAY!"

And he didn't need to be told twice. We ran as fast as we could, the pebbles making it hard for us, and I frantically hoped we wouldn't be met by a dead-end. The trap that we'd set up was to kill tributes by just crushing them under debris, but the trap would be useless against a mutt.

And the lack of a cannon told me all I had to know.

I had no idea what we were running from, but I knew that we should've left a long time back. We were in an enclosed space, with nowhere to go, and I cursed myself for overlooking this thing. I knew Max was thinking the same. We always planned ahead for everything... Why did we forget about the mutt factor?!

I was panting now, exhausted from running for so long. I could feel heavy footsteps behind us, a loud roar, and I let out a cry of despair, for in no way this could be happening, that we'd meet a dead end.

I turned around, and let out a cry, and Max screamed. The thing in front of us was huge and... Made of rock... And I couldn't make out what it was. I couldn't make out anything, except a large rocky arm, and then there was nothing.

 **Atlas Cian (18) D4M**

Eritine had been quiet ever since Ajax and Welton had fled, and it took all my self-restraint to not shake her and ask her whether she planned on doing the same.

I still couldn't believe that they'd left. They ran away in the dead of night and took away my bag too! I clenched my fist as we walked deeper into the forest; I'd take my sweet revenge.

Ajax... Why did he do it? I understood that Welton didn't particularly like Eritine or me, but I liked Ajax. He was strong and attractive and it would be a shame to have to kill him.

My thoughts wandered off to Darrius, and suddenly my heart started feeling heavy. Darrius wouldn't have left me were he here. He would have stayed for his love of me. I missed his presence so, so much, and abruptly, I started feeling guilty. I was committed to Darrius, why was I so attracted to Ajax then? I shouldn't have... And he wasn't worthy anyway.

I scoffed. Ajax ran away, disregarding the fact that _I_ had been the one to include him in the alliance. I wondered whether the Capitolites could tell what I felt for him; I hoped not. A masculine man like me wasn't supposed to be that way. I had never even disclosed my relationship with Darrius to anyone. And here I had been, mentally drooling over some District Five scum.

I was taken aback by two cannons exploding simultaneously. The sound had been sudden, and Eritine glanced at me worriedly. Most probably, our 'allies' were out there, getting kills.

Just the mere thought of it made my blood boil. So, all of them thought that they could get away from me and become the Capitol's favourite by killing other tributes? It was laughable. Minerva and Julian had shown how inept they were at killing, so was it Venus who had killed these two tributes, whoever they were? Or was it one of Ajax and Welton?

 _Or, maybe its two Careers who are gone._

The thought made me smile lightly, they would deserve a horrible end.

Well, another person would deserve a horrible end.

In my mind's eye, I could see myself beheading Junova, the pathetic girl from Ten. Oh, how easy it had been to get vengeance on her District Partner! My hand were itching to strangle her throat, to finish her, to torture her. Victory would be so much sweeter if I got revenge on both the Ten tributes.

Hence, I hoped that neither of the cannon was for her.

"Who do you think it is?" Eritine asked softly, looking me in the eye.

"I don't know," I shrugged, "Whatever it is, we're in the final thirteen."

"Well, yes, so we're almost halfway done," she smiled softly.

She stopped to drink some water, and I sat down on the ground. My legs were hurting, and the forest was way denser than I'd originally thought. It was actually pretty easy to get lost in here.

"Atlas I-I'm coming in a minute."

My head shot up as I looked at Eritine, and I jumped at her, holding her back by the wrist.

"Where are you going?"

She looked embarrassed as she answered, "Nature's call."

"Oh..."

And I left her wrist.

To convince me that she really wasn't running off to anywhere, she left her bag with all her supplies behind, and only took the two daggers that she'd been sponsored.

I leaned against a thick tree, sighing. I wondered how far Eritine had gone and whether she'd be able to find her way back.

It was then that I sensed the slight motion from a tree nearby, and I reached for my bow, taking aim. There was something there for sure, and I stood still, waiting for one more movement.

So, when the leaves rustled, I was ready for it. I let the arrow fly, and then ran to where my target was...

...only to find my stolen bag lying on the ground, with an arrow lodged on it.

I looked up, and barely caught Junova running from there. No way was I going to let her get away!

I followed her. This was my chance to have my revenge! Not only on Ten, but on Junova as well! How dare she steal my supplies!

The girl was a fast runner and it was getting hard to catch on.

"STOP!" I bellowed. Obviously, she didn't halt, and so I took aim and fired the arrow, then the other and then another.

However, I just could not understand why I kept missing. And apparently she had made me run in an entire circle, because we were back where we'd started, where my stolen bag was.

My arrows had all been used up, and I didn't get it. My aim was good, so why didn't even a single one hit her?

She grabbed my own bag and held it in front of her like a shield, almost as if to mock me. She had that smug expression on her face that was rubbing me off.

I let out a furious cry and charged, so very ready to get my revenge.

 **Yes, that's right! A cliffhanger! :D These are fun to write, honestly. So, what do you think of this chapter? Most of my chapters are going to be phone-typed, so I hope you don't mind it if my writing goes awry sometimes. But other than that, I hope you guys enjoyed it.**

 **Eulogies:-**

 **15** **th** **– Rebecca Ravensway: Oh my, Rebecca, I honestly really liked both you and Max. You guys were prodigies, and I honestly liked that aspect. You had such great histories, and such detailed personality too, and I genuinely loved writing you. Sadly, you did not fare well in the polls. Rest in peace, Rebecca, you'll be missed.**

 **14** **th** **– Max Paulson : Max was literally the most detailed character that I'd received, and he was brilliant. He was a genius, and I really liked that thing about him. He kind of reminded me of Artemis Fowl, to be honest. A lot of people didn't like Max and Rebecca, probably because of their high skills in Science, but I think both of you guys were unique. Rest in peace, Max, you'll be missed.**

 **So, we're in final thirteen now! What do you guys think will happen? Who'll be the next to go? Please let me know your thoughts and predictions!**

 **Alliances:**

 **The Golden Trio : Julian, Venus, Minerva**

 **Double Trouble: Welton, Ajax**

 **LOL What Even?: Eritine, Atlas**

 **United by Grief: Misha, Bina**

 **Uh… : Raiza (?), Arbor (?)**

 **Death List:**

 **Ridge- committed suicide**

 **Dexter- blew up at the cornucopia**

 **Monroe- killed by Welton**

 **Keegan- killed by Atlas**

 **Aristaeus- killed by Eritine**

 **Malakai- killed by Ajax**

 **Sylo- killed by Atlas**

 **Audrey- killed by Venus**

 **Corinne- killed by Atlas**

 **Rebecca- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Max- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Have a great day guys!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Day Three**

 **Atlas Cian (18) D4M**

The girl from Ten held on to the stolen bag, as if that was going to protect her from me.

I ran towards her, knowing well that my physical strength was more than enough to take her down. She seemed to realise that too, for she ran, ran as hard as she could, and I was surprised at her agility. I leaped at her, but she dodged it, and I fell against the thick roots of a tree that seemed to have pierced through the grounds.

I got up hastily, feeling furious. How dare she! I'd fallen on my face in camera! That was another thing she'd have to pay for.

She was trying to flee, and I couldn't let that happen. I quickly picked up one of the fallen arrows, took aim, and fired, watching it cut through the air, and it was about to hit her.

But then she brought up that bag, that _darned_ bag, and blocked the arrow, staggering just a bit from the impact. I swore as she dislodged the arrow, and ran with it!

I couldn't believe her audacity. First she stole my bag, then she took off with my arrow! That little witch was going to die painfully, I'd make sure of it.

I picked up a stone and threw it at her, and she let out a cry as she fell down. This was my chance to get her!

And I leaped at her, my hands throttling her throat, and she started struggling, thrashing, gasping for breath, her face started turning pale and I smirked. I raised her head and banged it back against the ground. She let out a loud, blood curdling cry, and I laughed out. The entirety of District Ten would be watching as I hurt their precious tribute, the blood from her head giving me an inexplicable pleasure. Ten deserved it, and Junova deserved it even more.

"Atlas?!"

Why the hell did she have to show up?! I grunted at Eritine, and she let out a loud gasp.

"Atlas, just end it quickly!"

"SHUT UP!"

Who did she think she was, interfering like this?! I wasn't going to let her intervene in my revenge!

That witch had bought time for my prey.

I let out a cry as something sharp pierced my side. Pain shot through my body, and it seemed to intensify even more as I pulled out the arrow, the arrow that I had shot at Junova, and as my grip loosened, she bit my arm and wriggled out.

The girl could barely stand, and she was going down now. There had been no need to attack me, with my own arrow too! I let out an angry yell even as she staggered back.

"Atlas, you're injured! Let me help you!"

"STAY OUT OF THIS!"

"You can't fight!"

And with that, I could just _feel_ her producing her dagger, and Junova's eyes widened in fear.

"ERITINE I'M HANDLING HER!"

And I moved to face her, to tell her to stop, I realised I was too late, that she had already thrown her dagger with all her strength, and that I couldn't ever get my revenge.

For the dagger hit me straight in my chest.

I let out a gasp, that matched Eritine's, as her eyes widened at what she had done. She shook her head, muttering, "I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to..."

I felt Junova pick up the bag and run, and I fell on my knees, the pain in my chest rising with each second, the warm blood leaving my being, and now I was feeling cold in this hot, hot arena.

And I saw Eritine rush over to me as I struggled to breathe, and she had tears in her eyes, and she pulled out the knife, apologising, apologising for her blunder, apologising for everything.

But why did she have a smirk on her face?

 **Welton Luxor (18) D1M**

Ajax and I shared a glance, and he sighed almost dramatically.

"You ran from us and we ran into you," he said, shaking his head, as we looked at the trio, who had sheepish grins on their faces.

"Well, uh, hi!" Venus said, waving weakly from the ground, and I immediately knew she wasn't well.

"Yeah, how are you guys doing?!" Minnie exclaimed, grinning widely at us, looking as if she wasn't really happy to see us.

"Very well," Ajax replied, probably to humour her, "And you?"

"Excellent!"

And the three of them showed up double thumbs-up, but Venus groaned and leaned back against Julian's shoulder, holding her head.

"Are you okay?" I asked, kneeling next to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"And we weren't running from _you,_ " Julian said, as he forced Venus to rest her head in his lap, trying to give her something like a cushion effect, and started massaging her head again, "We were running from _him._ "

And I believed him, because honestly, that's what we were all doing. It wasn't just because Atlas was a threat, there was just something about him that put me off, and he had creeped out Ajax and was trying to turn everyone against the trio.

So it was of no surprise to me that all the five of us settled down there, even as two cannons rang in the air, and we looked at each other, Venus starting at the sound, holding her aching head tightly.

"Who do you think...?" I asked, looking at everyone in turn. I didn't know who it were, but I was kind of hoping one of them was Atlas. That would be one less threat in the arena, and I'd be one step closer to home, to Alvar. I could imagine how proud he'd be if I walked out of the arena, victorious, and that brought a smile on my face.

Apparently, I had zoned out, and missed their conversation, until Ajax spoke, "It's nice to see you smile, Welton."

And he sounded so genuine, so honest, that my smile widened, and I nodded at him even as he gave me a clap on the back. It had been a while since I had actually smiled, and the idea seemed so laughable now. Why, what was so special about smiling, Welton! I couldn't pinpoint it, but I knew Ajax was smiling with me, the earlier cannons already forgotten, the conversations around me light.

We talked for a while, although I had no idea of time. Venus was able to sit properly now, and I had no idea that Julian had a bottle of whisky, and he, Minnie and I started passing the bottle around, the other two refraining, and despite the heat, the alcohol came as a relief.

"Guys!" Minnie exclaimed, linking her arm with Julian's, a stupid grin on her face, "Let's play Truth and Dare!"

"Woohoo!" Julian and Venus cheered. She didn't need to be drunk to look forward to this.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Ajax started, but I pressed my finger against his lips, surprising him, and shook my head.

"Let's play," I said, knowing a grin like Minnie's was on my face too.

"We need a bottle!" Julian exclaimed.

To my shock, Ajax downed the rest of the whisky and set the bottle down, muttering, "This should do."

"I didn't know you drink!" I exclaimed.

"I don't."

And with that Julian spun the bottle, starting the game.

It was Julian's turn to ask, and Venus was on the answering end.

"Very well Venus, truth or dare?"

"Truth," she said, twirling her hair, "Always the truth."

"Alright! I'm sure we've all got the same question. Are you this weird since birth, or did you get some training?"

"No, I've been this weird since I can remember. I usually conduct training sessions, one week workshops to enhance your inner weirdness."

We laughed at that, and I patted her on the back. I couldn't really remember when I'd last laughed so heartily, or when I'd played such a stupid game, but it felt nice, almost like an escape from reality. Maybe it was the alcohol, I didn't know and I didn't care.

It was Ajax's turn to pose the next task and Minnie was on the receiving end, smiling goofily.

"Truth or dare, Minerva?"

"Dare!"

"Alright, slap Julian on his right cheek."

"WHAT?!" Julian cried out, and suddenly Venus had pinioned him, even as Minnie slapped him. On his right cheek.

"What's wrong with you three?!" he cried out, holding his smarting cheek. The slap had not really been hard, but his expression was worth millions, and we all howled with laughter as he sulked.

Shrugging, he rotated the bottle again, and this time he was smirking.

It was his turn to ask, and mine to answer.

"Truth or dare?" he asked.

"Truth," I smirked.

A sly smile played across his lips, and his eyes wandered to Ajax and then back at me, and I immediately regretted choosing truth, for I knew what he was about to ask.

"What do you feel for Ajax?"

And I wanted to punch him on his smug face, believing that he deserved a proper slap on his cheek. Everyone quieted down, and I avoided looking at Ajax.

"He's a nice guy," I started, "I think he's a good friend and a good person too."

"And?" Julian prodded.

"And I think he's- he's amazing."

No matter what, I wasn't going to say anything else. It wasn't just because I didn't want to admit that I liked him, but I knew it would get embarrassing for him, for I was sure he didn't return my feelings. And that was okay, we weren't really in a conducive environment. Whatever the case, I couldn't bring myself to look at him, and I knew my own face was red with embarrassment of being called out.

I felt grateful to Minnie as she spun the bottle again, saving me from further torture, but before we could see who's turn it was, the sudden noise brought us out of our stupor.

Another cannon had exploded in the distance.

 **Night Three**

 **Raiza Relic (12) D11F**

I had no idea why I had responded to his chilling screams, why I had tried my best to wake him up, or why I was tagging along with him, but I just did.

I never wanted an alliance with Arbor Basswood, but here we were. I couldn't believe that, in the short span of time that I'd left him yesterday, he had changed so much. I had found him passed out, tears stains on his face and I had been shocked. Who could've done this to him?! It had taken some effort to wake him up, but I had been shocked by what he had done.

Arbor had hugged me immediately and cried, cried and _cried,_ wailing as if he'd been tortured, as if he'd prefer to be dead than whatever he had gone through, and his screams were chilling my blood. Despite myself, I hugged him back, not knowing what to do, especially since he just didn't tell me what had happened to him.

After his break down, he had managed to compose himself, and still remained composed, which honestly relieved me. However, his eyes suddenly had that lost look sometimes and tears would start trickling down his cheeks, and I didn't know how to deal with it. I could put up with a manipulative and sly Arbor, but an emotionally turbulent Arbor was hard to cope with.

We were sitting silently now, and I noticed him glancing my way from time to time. He obviously wanted to say something, and I wondered what was making him hesitate.

"Just ask it, Arbor."

And I'd honestly never been this happy to see someone smirk as I was to see him do it, his unique amused twinkle returning to his eyes.

"Oh you just know me so well," he said softly, "Intelligent, as always."

"Why don't you just ask what you wanted to?" I retorted, a slight smile forming on my lips.

"I didn't want to _ask_ anything. Just wanted to say that you've got a nice lighter."

And there he went again, the prick. I _knew_ he must have observed things despite being shaky, but having noticed the lighter that I hadn't even used in front of him?!

"Well, yes, the sponsors have been kind," I smiled. I wasn't going to let him unnerve me.

"Oh, interesting."

And there his smile widened, and I glared at him as he started drinking water, before offering me the bottle. I took it, and even as I started drinking, a _chime_ sound alerted me of the sponsor gift.

I put the bottle aside slowly, walking over the parachute, to find more water... And pizza. All for me. Arbor whistled, and his whistle told me that he believed that this was a gift for flattery, which even I knew was true.

However, it was the note that caught my attention.

I had been sent a note with the lighter too, when Arbor and I had separated, and there had been nothing on it, except for a wink smiley. And that was all I needed to know the purpose of the lighter...

I had the flame just a little away from the paper, just enough that it wouldn't burn. There had been nothing.

Right now, I unfolded the note again, and read it.

" _Oh sweetie, we love you two! Keep going!"_

I pulled out my lighter again, knowing Arbor was watching, and held the flame near the paper once more. Again, there was nothing.

Before it got suspicious though, I put the note on fire and looked up at the sky.

"Thank you!" I said, grinning, "Thank you so much!"

"Why did you burn the note?" Arbor asked. Of course, he _had_ to ask.

"I like burning paper. It gives me peace of mind. Ever heard of that?"

He scowled at me, probably because he was from Seven, but we both knew he hadn't bought it. Still, he didn't say anything, just another smirk appearing on his intelligent face, but that was kind of always there.

"Very well Raiza," he said and grinned, "Care to share?"

I sighed.

"Mr Basswood, even if I refuse, you're going to help yourself anyway, right?"

"That is correct."

"So why even bother asking?"

"Manners, Ms Relic, manners."

 **Ah, so a new update, and it's quite fast too! I'll be honest I already had half of it typed. Did anything here surprise you? What did you guys think? Oh man, this was exciting to write. A lot of things happened here, but first...**

 **Eulogies:**

 **13** **th** **– Atlas Cian: Atlas, dear, you have NO idea how much I loved you. You were that amazing villain, who was smart, and villainous but still had feelings. According to the votes, he should have been gone a little earlier, but I couldn't bring myself to do it then, not before he had left his mark on the story, and he indeed left it. You were fun and easy to write and I think I got carried away sometimes. Well, at least you killed one Ten tribute. You've got three kills, and that's quite high. Rest in peace, you'll be missed.**

 **So guys, did you think Eritine would kill Atlas by** _ **pretending**_ **to aim at June? What do you think June will do, now that she's so injured? Did you see a Truth and Dare game coming up among the Careers? XD Also, why do you think Raiza got that lighter, and why does she keep checking the notes she receives under its flame? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter!**

 **PS: I've never had alcohol, so I don't know how much it can affect people. I'm sorry if my depiction is off, but I didn't think it would be too extreme.**

 **Alliances:**

 **The Golden Trio : Julian, Venus, Minerva**

 **Double Trouble: Welton, Ajax**

 **United by Grief: Misha, Bina**

 **Ah!** **: Raiza, Arbor**

 **Death List:**

 **Ridge- committed suicide**

 **Dexter- blew up at the cornucopia**

 **Monroe- killed by Welton**

 **Keegan- killed by Atlas**

 **Aristaeus- killed by Eritine**

 **Malakai- killed by Ajax**

 **Sylo- killed by Atlas**

 **Audrey- killed by Venus**

 **Corinne- killed by Atlas**

 **Rebecca- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Max- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Atlas- killed by Eritine**

 **Have a great day guys!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Night Three**

 **Junova "June" Parkers (15) D10F**

My vision felt blurry right now, head pounding as if a hammer had been thrown at it, and the bag felt to be much heavier than it had been. Atlas was dead, but he had caused a lot of harm, and I cursed him. My legs were too weak, shaking under the weight of my body, and I let out a pained cry. I had no idea how much blood I had lost, but I was feeling so cold...

I dropped the bag on the ground, feeling so dizzy, and fell on my knees, the elements of the jungle cutting into my skin, and I fell forward on all fours, panting hard, breathing was getting tougher.

I groaned in pain, when I heard a _chime,_ announcing the arrival of a sponsor gift, probably for my injuries. It had landed a few feet in front of me, and I tried to reach out, arm outstretched, but it was too far away. I could have crawled to it, but my body was fatigued, and I didn't realise when the darkness consumed me...

 **Day Four**

The light was blinding, and it pierced me even through my shut eyelids. I groaned, my muscles aching, stomach growling in hunger, and I raised my hand to my pounding head, surprised to find something there. Gently running my fingers on it, I realised it was a bandage. What...? What was happening?

"Easy there," a soft voice said, and I sat up, panicked, heart racing. I was vulnerable at the moment, that was my first thought, and I couldn't afford to be with another person. I tried to open my eyes, and the effort hurt, but crouching beside me was the girl from Twelve, looking slightly worried.

"What..." I whispered, but I felt too exhausted to say anything else.

"Well, I found you passed out here," Farouka said, her eyes distant, a strange sadness in them, "And there were medicines there, which I thought were for you since there was so much congealed blood at the back of your head. So there were instructions on how to clean it up and apply the meds, I did that, and you kept sleeping."

I gazed back at her gloomy eyes, the smile that didn't quite reach them. I didn't know what to say, what to think. In my entire life, nobody had shown so much kindness to me. I didn't even know how to respond to it, my brain seemed to be dead and I had no idea how to react. And to think that this girl was so kind to me in the _arena!_

"How're you feeling now?"

"Uh... Better."

And I knew I should say more, I _wanted_ to say more, but I'd never... I didn't know how to...

I should try again.

"Th-th-" I stammered, the word refusing to get out of my mouth. I couldn't remember when I had genuinely thanked someone, and I didn't know whether I could get the word out right now. She seemed to understand though, for she smiled sadly, and nodded.

"You're welcome."

I sighed in relief, grateful to her not only for her help, but also for her great understanding. My stomach growled suddenly, and I turned away, embarrassed, even as she frowned.

"I'm afraid I don't have any food with me," she said, "I didn't get sponsored much, and it has run out. I'm sorry I can't help you there."

"I have it," I muttered, still feeling too exhausted to speak more, and so I pointed feebly at my bag, _Atlas' bag,_ and she went over to it. She opened it and pulled out some bread and chips and then offered it to me.

I looked her in the eye and whispered, "You should have it too."

She nodded, but didn't move, not till I accepted the food. She sat down beside me, chewing slowly, eyes distant, as if she was replaying something in her mind. Her posture, her face, the dullness of her eyes all spoke of some sadness she wasn't revealing.

And now, strangely enough, the words came out really easily. So easily, in fact, that I couldn't believe that I had struggled with them for so long.

"Thank you for everything, Farouka."

 **Misha Windover (18) D9F**

I had no idea why I felt so better.

I was in the Games, for goodness' sake! Things were supposed to be the worst here, the humans were supposed to turn into beasts! And yet, here she was, an angel in a human form, a gift to this earth, a gift that it didn't deserve.

"Bina, I think we should take a rest."

She glanced at me, then looked up at the sky.

"Uh okay, probably not for long though. The mutts can attack if we stay in one place for long."

"Alright."

The two of us sat down on the roots of the massive trees, thankful for the shade they provided. It was still really hot in the arena, but at least the sun wasn't hitting us directly. Bina leaned back, her eyes shut, and I couldn't help but wonder how the two of us, the two tributes who looked so _different,_ ended up being a team. Bina wasn't concerned about her albinism, and I had learnt to live with my vitiligo.

I wished I had found her earlier.

She already made me feel so much better about myself, she made me realise that putting on a facade of happiness was unnecessary, and maybe, just maybe, if I knew her before, my life would have been better. Maybe I could have moved over Shizune, with such a strong person beside me, such a great friend.

Was it the heat that was making such white swirls appear in front of me? In the back of my mind , I knew it couldn't really be the heat, but the cloud like thing seemed to have no other explanation.

"MISHA!"

I looked over to Bina, who was screaming her head off, running here and there, colliding into trees.

"MISHA I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!"

"What are you saying?!"

I couldn't make sense of the situation. She had gone blind?! How could that happen all of a sudden?! I reached out to her and made her stop, her eyes looking out of focus, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Misha, is that you?!" she sobbed, "I can't see anything!"

"You'll be alright!" I told her, and gave her a hug, unable to understand what was happening to her. How could just not see anything so abruptly? How could anyone just go blind without anything happening?

"So you went over to her now?"

The voice was unfamiliar, yet it seemed to belong to someone I knew well. Still holding Bina, who was probably on the verge of collapsing, I turned my head to the right to see who had spoken.

And when I saw _her_ , I almost fainted myself. For this couldn't be happening, after all that I had done, all that I had gone through, all that I had dealt with, Shizune couldn't be in the arena, she just couldn't.

My lips quivered as I took in her presence, looking as real as I was, walking slowly towards me. This couldn't be happening... How... What...

I blinked, hoping she'd disappear if I did that.

No such luck.

"Surprised to see me here?" she smirked, and that's when it hit me.

Shizune was mute and deaf, she shouldn't be able to communicate like this.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to make my voice sound strong, but it was only a scared whisper, and I cursed myself for it.

"You already forgot me? And I thought you loved me..."

"Misha, who are you talking to?" Bina asked, and I turned towards her.

"You-you can't see her?!"

"I can't see _anything,_ Misha!"

"Oh right."

How did I forget that? Bina was suffering herself from blindness, and then my ex-best friend showed up and was _speaking._

And now she was _gliding_ towards me, eyes dark with fury, the smirk gone.

"What do you think, Misha? That you'll volunteer for this game, and I'll forgive you?"

"I-Shizune-"

"After everything you've done to me, after your horrible betrayal, you actually expect me to forgive you and move on? You don't deserve it, Misha, you vile woman. You don't deserve my kindness."

I stared back at her, gaping, my hands falling limply to my side. She didn't forgive me... Not even after I had volunteered... She didn't... She didn't...

Why wasn't I dead yet?

After everything I had done, she had not even forgiven me? Yes, I betrayed her, but I saved her life too! And she didn't think _anything_ of it?!

"Shizune..."

"Who're you talking to?!" Bina exclaimed.

"You can't hear her?! It's Shizune- I volunteered for her!"

"No Misha, I might have gone blind but I'm not selectively deaf..."

And her voice faltered, as a frown appeared on her face, and without any warning, she reached for my face, pulled back her arm, and slapped me so hard I went sprawling on the ground.

"What the hell!" I cried out, my cheek burning, and blazing hot on touch. It hurt, it hurt so much, and I looked up at angrily at Bina... Only to see that Shizune was gone.

"What...?"

"Did it work?"

"I-"

"Did it work, Misha?"

"Yes, yes it did."

"Very well, do the same to me."

I blinked. How did Shizune just disappear on me getting slapped across the face? And then it dawned on me... She had been an illusion, a lie...

And I was burning with rage now. The Game Makers had no right to do this to us. Not only were they making us fight to the death, they were making us live our fears, our darkest secrets... How dare they...!

"Misha!"

I let out a shaky breath and walked over to Bina. I didn't want to do it, but it had to happen, and so I slapped her hard, as hard as I could, and this time she had fallen on the ground, groaning.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, hoping that it had worked.

"Yeah, yeah," she replied as she stood up, groaning, "Well, I can see now."

"That's good to know."

She stepped closer to me, shaking with whatever had happened, and soon we were in each other's comforting embrace.

"That was so scary," she whispered.

"It was."

And I meant it. It had been a terrifying experience for both of us, and I just hoped it wouldn't repeat.

I didn't have the strength to go through it again.

 **Ajax Volt (18) D5M**

After everything was said and done, after all the games we had played yesterday, after laughing and joking like friends, we all split up, with the trio going their own way, and Welton and I trying to figure out a way back to the meadow before we ran out of water.

Neither of us could look at each other in the eye now that we were alone. It was mean of Julian to trick Welton into saying all that yesterday. It was awkward for me, but really embarrassing for him, and he had been keeping a distance since then, for which I was secretly grateful, because it would have gotten too uncomfortable for both of us.

"Ajax," he started, and paused, probably waiting for some interjection from me. When none came, he continued, "I'm- I'm really sorry for- for everything that happened yesterday."

"It's alright."

I didn't want to ponder on that incident any longer. Why couldn't we go back to being allies, who just wanted to off Atlas? I sighed; there were a few problems with that as well. Firstly, I knew Welton felt this way even then, and secondly, Atlas was dead, although that was more of a relief than an issue.

I briefly wondered who got him. I felt that it must have been Eritine, but would she confront him directly? Something must have happened, something that worked as a trap for Atlas and swallowed him like quicksand.

I glanced sideways at Welton, and the solemn, distant look on his face made me wish that he hadn't volunteered. He was a good person, and was probably here only due to the Career culture that said tributes had to volunteer and win the Games. The same culture had convinced him to think that his foster father would be proud only if he volunteered and won. Had I known Welton outside, and had he not volunteered, I was certain we would have been friends.

Sadly, I couldn't let him get close. I didn't want to go through killing him after getting very attached, and I was afraid that it had already begun, that I was already considering him a friend, and it was going to be hard...

The innocent faces of my orphanage's children flashed in front of my eyes, followed by a sea of such innocent faces throughout my District, who would lose their life if a Career like institution wasn't established, they way they had been dying year after year _after year._ I glanced again at Welton. How many people in One were living freely, without fear, because he had decided to volunteer? Quite a lot. It must be amazing to live fearlessly, knowing someone would take care of everyone by sacrificing themselves, and while that idea was sick, it was effective.

It was a shame that, as a society, I wanted District Five to turn into _that,_ making children choose to risk their life in order to save other's, but it was a bad, bad world, and even as I glanced at Welton one more time, meeting his eye, I knew my resolve had deepened, and while it would be painful to kill him, I could already feel bile rising in my throat at the thought of killing a friend, it had to be done, it had to be done, it _had_ to be done!

I didn't know what started making me shiver now, trembling against the hot winds of the arena. I had been feeling a little cold since a while now, but it was only now that I noticed properly, and I rubbed my bare arms, trying to get some warmth in my body. I was feeling so cold, so cold...

Welton grabbed my arm and I gave a start, involuntarily pulling back, reaching out for the sword that I had.

"Ajax, I need to check your fever!" he exclaimed, but I couldn't understand him properly, the cold so strong now that I was on my knees, still pointing the sword at him. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew he was trying to help, and meant no harm, but for some reason the events from yesterday came flooding back to me, and I was wary, wary of this man, even as my grip weakened on my sword and I dropped it, falling forward even as he steadied me, keeping his distance, gently pressing the back of his palm against my forehead.

"Oh goodness Ajax, your fever is really high!"

I didn't know what came over me, but all I could feel that I was vulnerable, and I did not want to be vulnerable near a Career, and I tried to get up, for I couldn't show that I was being affected by this stupid fever, but my body refused to cooperate, and I fell forward, eyes shutting themselves, even as his strong arms caught me before I fell on my face.

 **Hello all! Here's another death free chapter, and I hope you guys liked it. I got carried away with the second POV, I think, but this was a fun chapter to write. Let me know your thoughts on this!**

 **Also, submissions for Recrudesce are open, so do send in your tributes if you haven't already!**

 **Have a great day!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Night Four**

 **Bina Bishop (15) D3F**

The night sounds were somewhat soothing after the events of the day.

The crickets seemed to be chirping, the heat still unrelenting, and we were down to the last stock of our water, a single litre, and I knew it wouldn't last long. We needed to get to the stream and replenish our supplies, but both Misha and I were reluctant to go there. For all we knew, the Careers would be there, waiting for their prey.

But it had to be done.

The main problem, however, was that we didn't know which way to go. The forest was dense, and neither of us had any sense of direction. So we walked aimlessly, going through parts that seemed familiar yet unfamiliar, but that could be said for the entire forest.

"To hell with this!" Misha cursed as we tried to get around a particularly difficult tree. The vines, the thick branches and the sharp edged leaves had become annoying now, and despite everything, we hadn't gotten used to them.

"So, Misha," I started, as we pushed aside another group of branches, "What-what were you seeing?"

She didn't respond and I decided not to probe it any further. We walked forward, stumbling sometimes, exhausted and weary.

"I love her."

"What?" I asked, surprised at the sudden statement.

"You asked me a question, as to what I saw," she said, voice barely audible, "I saw Shizune. She was my best friend, and I loved her. I volunteered for her."

Her voice cracked at that, and I looked up, alarmed. I could understand how she must have felt for Shizune, to take a step as big as this, and I hoped her friend valued the sacrifice Misha had made for her. Right now though, Misha was on the verge of breaking down, and I wrapped my arms around her when the tears finally started falling.

"I-I betrayed her, Bina. I cheated on her with her boyfriend. I broke her trust..."

"Misha..."

"I didn't know what I was doing, but that's not an acceptable excuse. This- this was my way to atone for that. I just hope she forgives me. But back then, back then I saw that hasn't, that she hates me."

"I don't think she hates you."

She released me from the hug, only to look me in the eyes, trying to understand whether I meant what I said. I smiled encouragingly at her, nodding.

"You've put your life on the line, Misha. Plus, you were best friends. Sure, she must have been angry, but sacrifices have a way to make people forget all about that."

Ridge's face swam in front of my eyes, but I pushed it away to the back of my head, and focused on Misha, patting her shoulder.

"I hope you're correct, Bina," she whispered, trying for a smile, and I couldn't help but admire her strength. Few people had the courage to risk their lives for others.

I didn't realise when we started walking again, or when I was so ahead of her. I was lost in my thoughts about my friends here, and my family that I missed dearly. I walked ahead absently, not bothering to see where I was going.

"BINA!"

I spun around as fast as a whirlwind, the panicked cry terrifying me to the core. But what I saw next...

"MISHA!" I cried out, and ran towards her, trying to close the distance, _trying,_ but it wasn't working, it wasn't working, no matter how much I struggled. I tripped over a root, hitting my head on a trunk, and I screamed in pain as I felt the blood ooze out of my wound.

I looked up groggily, my heart hammering in my chest, for this couldn't be happening.

Misha was there, hanging in the air, cocooned in something that looked like a white, silky thread, and now her mouth had been covered too. She was struggling in the shell, her muffled screams audible, and I struggled to my feet, feeling light headed, but I had to stop this.

"NO!" I screamed, and threw a stone at the chain of thread that was wrapping itself around her. I looked up to see the source of the thread, and I could feel bile rising in my throat, as I took in the very green caterpillar, almost half my size.

I stared at it for a few seconds, both attracted and repulsed simultaneously, and then screamed and screamed and _screamed._

It didn't seem to have noticed me though, and I gathered enough sense to stop myself. I had to rescue Misha.

I picked up another stone and threw it at the monster, followed by pebbles, branches, twigs, anything. I wanted to yank that thread and cut her free, but I was certain that I shouldn't touch it.

"LET HER GO!" I yelled, tears blurring my sight, the head injury hurting terribly, the blood loss making me feel weaker by the second, "LET HER GO!"

The caterpillar didn't bother to even turn its yellow rimmed hideous black eyes towards me, shooting that string that suffocated my friend. And I knew, in that instance, that I couldn't save her.

"NOOOOO!" I cried even as the cannon exploded, its horrible sound echoing in the air, "NOOOOO!"

How could this happen...? How could she be gone so quickly...?

I vaguely noticed the Caterpillar mutt taking its leave, even as I mourned the death of my friend.

 **Farouka Qadri (16) D12F**

 _The girl walked forward slowly, almost mechanically, a small axe clutched in her hands. She had received it as a gift after being kind to the younger girl, indicating that people liked her._

 _She loved being loved._

 _But there had been others... Three others, who were gone, three others whom she loved, three others she had to avenge. The axe felt heavy in her hands, a dark, powerful aura surrounded her and she wanted to laugh, for this was going to be fun, the way it had been so many years ago..._

 _She had seen her prey, moving around with her two daggers, agile like a cheetah, and yet she hadn't seen her. She wouldn't be seeing her anyway, she'd leave soon, her prey, leave this rotten world, and the girl chuckled lowly to herself. Should she really hand over such an easy death to her prey, the wretched human being, destroyer of lives? She pretended to debate on it, but for whom? She didn't know, but she did think about it quite seriously. What was the most appropriate way to deal death to this disastrous beauty? Should she rip out her insides, or should she shred apart her limbs? Or maybe... The girl's eyes gleamed in the moonlight. This was perfect._

 _The prey had set her daggers down, and was slowly eating an apple, and the girl smiled to herself. She walked forward, slowly, her steps not making any sound, and soon she was looming over her prey, a giddy smirk on her face._

 _She seemed to stiffen, as if she had sensed the girl's presence, and swiftly reached for her dagger. Before she could make a move though, the girl pierced her back with her axe, the prey giving a loud gasp of pain, and the girl pulled out the axe, only to drive it in again, this time the victim screamed as she fell down._

 _And the girl laughed, the melodious sound worked like music together with the other girl's screams as she flipped her over so that she was lying on her back, the natural elements stinging in her fatal wound._

 _The prey had tears in her eyes, and it satisfied the girl to no end. She knew her time was coming soon, so she crouched down and pulled one of the daggers, sliding her thumb lightly over its blade._

 _This would be fun._

" _No... No please!" the victim whimpered in pain, and the girl looked at her in amusement. She was already going to die after the attack... Why plead in her last moments?_

" _Well, well, well," the girl smirked, twirling the dagger in her hand, "I like you this way, honey."_

 _The victim's fist shot forward, punching the girl right in the face. The girl's head shot back, and she stayed in that position, staring at the night sky, sensing the fear in her victim._

 _So, when she looked back down at the girl who was nearly dead, she let out a high pitched, cruel laugh, slapping her knee as if she'd heard a really humorous statement._

 _And then she brought her dagger down on her forehead, not hard enough to kill but hard enough to mark, and as she wrote her beautiful name on her forehead, drawing beautiful, warm blood with every move, the victim's screams rang out in the air, mixed with the girl's cruel laugh, and she knew her prey would have been happy when she finally breathed her last._

I opened my eyes slowly, groaning, a dull pounding in my head. There was something sticky on my hands and I sat up, not knowing where I was. I had blacked out earlier, and the trees seemed different here. And there was a smell... Smell of blood.

It jolted me awake instantly and I looked around... Only to see _that._

And I was screaming hard, unable to breathe, unable to think, for the corpse of Eritine Hadron was lying by my side, for my hands were covered in her blood, and I didn't know what had happened, how it had happened.

All I could hear were my own blood chilling screams.

 **Julian Arum (17) D2M**

Two cannons.

TThere had been two deaths since the night dawned, and none of them belonged to us. I let out a shaky sigh; the competition was dying slowly, and I hadn't had to bring myself to kill yet.

For how long could this continue though?

I was a _Career._ It was my job to kill tributes, not to hang around with my friends!

Friends...

That's what they had become. _Friends._ The arenas roughness had brought us extremely close, in a situation where most people lost their humanity, I was developing new relationships, and it was beautiful.

But how long could it go on? How long could I go on without killing my friends, or them killing me? I did not have the answer to that, and I was not keen on finding out either.

Somebody bumped into me, and I turned around to see Minnie, with her eyes half shut, looking so sleepy that it felt she'd drop down now, and she muttered an incoherent apology. She groaned when Venus bumped into her, twirling her hair, looking as sleepy as the other girl.

Venus yawned, not bothering to cover her mouth at all, and I scoffed.

"Your mouth is so wide open that a fly can start its family there."

She didn't respond to my insult, maybe she'd gotten used to them, and continued twirling her hair.

"Julian, that was a bad joke," Minnie said, leaning against me, looking very exhausted. Now that I looked at her carefully, she looked much more tired than both of us, and I wondered if she was okay.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Guys, just stay here... I think I'll look around for some edible plants," Venus muttered, "Minnie, keep my sword. I'll be back soon."

"Wait!" Minnie said, "We'll come with you!"

"No Minnie, you're both tired. I've rested when I was unwell, so I think you guys should rest up."

"And won't you need your sword?"

"Nah, my presence is enough to scare everyone, bro," she boasted, "Plus, I need you to protect Julian here."

"Oye!" I protested, earning a chuckle from Minnie and a 'I told you so' smirk from Venus. My shoulders slumped as she walked away, and I wondered how she had the courage to go in alone, without a weapon, a weapon that was her gift, because neither Minnie nor I had been sponsored with arms.

"She's something else, isn't she?" Minnie said.

"Definitely. She's from another world altogether."

We stayed silent for some time, enjoying the amicable quiet of the environment, listening to the sounds of the jungle.

"Do you miss your family?" she asked.

"Every waking moment. You?"

"Same. I especially miss Michelle, you know? She'd still be trying to come up with fashion designs for me when I go back," she laughed, and I joined in, and she stopped suddenly.

" _If_ I go back."

And there she went, spoiling both of our moods, and we were quiet again. I stood up and started pacing the area, which was relatively clearer, while Minnie settled herself down on the roots of an ancient looking tree.

I wandered off a little away from her, and she called out, "Julian come back!"

"Missing me already?" I joked, walking back towards her.

There were a lot of bugs in my way, tiny black things, and as I walked, they seemed to be... Multiplying?

"What the hell!" I cried out, as the little things started crawling my body, and multiplying on my _body._

I swatted at them, but they bit me, hard, and soon I was bleeding from various spots on my legs.

"What's wrong?!" I heard Minnie ask.

"Help!" I responded, trying to get these things off my body, these bugs that had gotten inside my clothes, and I was writhing in pain now, screaming, and I felt someone throwing water over me, trying to get these darned bugs off, but to no avail.

"BACK OFF!" I yelled at Minerva, realising what was about to happen. I was covered by the bugs till my neck now, and I was crying in pain, struggling to get them off.

 _Why me?!_

I was bleeding with every part of my body, and I realised that these bugs were _eating me alive._ I cried out even as Minnie ignored my warnings, trying to rescue me, but both of us knew it was in vain.

"Julian I'll get you out!"

"No Minnie..." I whispered as the bugs started attacking my face, and I could not accept this fate. I wasn't going to be eaten alive by these mutts, I wasn't going to endure this torture for hours. I couldn't...

"Minnie... Please..."

"I CAN'T DO IT JULIAN!" she cried, tears trickling down her cheeks, "I CAN'T!"

"I beg you, Minnie, please..."

And the bugs entered my mouth, eating away at my soft flesh, at my tongue, and I hoped my friend would have mercy on me. I closed my eyes, as I felt blood trickle down my eyes.

"Julian..." she whispered, and her voice had cracked, "Julian..."

And I felt the sword come crashing down, piercing my heart, and I welcomed the relief. I heard Minnie's sobs and her footsteps as she ran far, far away, sobbing my name, not bothering to pull back the sword.

 _Thank you, Minnie._

 **Okay, this chapter was heart-breaking for me to write. I loved all these three kids, and I hate the fact that they had to go. For those of you who didn't get it, Misha was killed by a Caterpie mutt (I'm obsessed with Gen 1 pokemon), it was Farouka who offed Eritine (she was in her psycho mode and saw everything as a third person), and Julian was being eaten alive by bugs that were multiplying every second. This chapter was gruesome, and I apologise for eliminating your characters this way.**

 **Eulogies:**

 **12th-Misha Windover: Misha, honey, you were amazing. I like how you tried to put on a brave and enthusiastic face in face of problems, and I think you were an awesome character. I'm happy I got to write her. Rest in peace, you'll be missed.**

 **11** **th** **-Eritine Hadron: I didn't want to do this. Eritine was one of my favourites, and I just loved her villainy. She was an interesting character, and writing her was honestly so easy. By voting, she would have gone out much earlier, but I loved her too much for that. She went out this painfully because Farouka blamed her for everything that had happened. Rest in peace, you won't be forgotten.**

 **10** **th** **\- Julian Arum: I'M SORRY MISTY! I love Julian, honestly! I think Julian was really interesting, and, if I must say so, really adorable. I loved him so much, he was so precious, and I'm really sorry he went the way he did. Rest in peace Julian, know that I love you.**

 **So we're down to final nine from top twelve in one chapter. I would appreciate your reviews on this chapter, because I love reviews and they make my day :D I'm still feeling sad writing this, what can I say?**

 **Alliances:**

 **The Golden... Duo? : Venus, Minerva**

 **Double Trouble: Welton, Ajax**

 **Ah! : Raiza, Arbor**

 **Death List:**

 **Ridge- committed suicide**

 **Dexter- blew up at the cornucopia**

 **Monroe- killed by Welton**

 **Keegan- killed by Atlas**

 **Aristaeus- killed by Eritine**

 **Malakai- killed by Ajax**

 **Sylo- killed by Atlas**

 **Audrey- killed by Venus**

 **Corinne- killed by Atlas**

 **Rebecca- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Max- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Atlas- killed by Eritine**

 **Misha- killed by Caterpie mutt**

 **Eritine – killed by Farouka**

 **Julian – killed by Minnie**

 **Have a great day!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Night Four**

 **Venus Hallow (17) D2F**

I had never expected to see edible things here, not after almost four days, so when I finally spotted some berries, I couldn't believe it at first. They were nice, round and violet, and quite a few of them, and I laughed out.

"Heeheehee!"

Because that was important to do before I plucked them and safely pocketed them, but not before popping a few into my mouth, the sweet-sour juice filling it instantly and I shut my eyes, content, twirling my hair, chewing like an animal. Animals, especially cows, chewed in a really cool way. Minnie and Julian would be glad to have these, they were delicious.

I started when I heard another cannon go off in the distance, disturbing the peace of the night. Who could it be...? For a second, my heart was filled with dread. Could it be one of Julian or Minnie?

 _No silly, they're both more than capable of looking after themselves. Plus, they're together._

And while I agreed with my thoughts, I didn't want to stay away from them any longer, and so I started off in a haste, hoping I was right and nothing had happened.

* * *

It was after much effort that I managed to find the spot where I'd left them... Only to find it deserted.

I was getting anxious now, and I didn't want to think of the worst.

 _They must have just wandered off._

I tried to convince myself that I believed that, holding tightly to my strands of hair to keep myself thinking that everything was normal. I couldn't play with it anymore though, and I was only holding on due to despair.

"Julian?" I called out as I frantically moved around the empty space, "Minnie?"

No reply. Perhaps, I had called out too softly, that's what I told myself. So, raising my voice, I bellowed, "JULIAN?! MINNIE?!"

And yet, neither of them replied. There was no sound around, nothing at all, and I wondered if it was possible that I was looking in the wrong place. The forest was pretty similar everywhere anyway, and it could be the case that I'd lost my way.

 _Yes, yes that would be it._

And I was about to leave, hopeful, when I saw _it_.

My sword, the sword I'd given to Minnie, was lying on the ground, soaked in blood, fresh, red blood, and my heart was sinking, sinking, _sinking._

I stepped towards it slowly, afraid to go near, afraid of what I'd find, hoping that it was just _there,_ and had no meaning, no meaning at all. And I tried to believe that when my eyes caught the bags _their_ bags, tossed aside recklessly.

I reached the sword, looking down at it, and stooped down to pick it up, holding it in front of my face, eyes staring at the blood, still wet, the blade reflecting my own terrified face in the moonlight.

I didn't know what had happened. Had they been attacked? Or had they...?

"JULIAN!" I cried out, running blindly, hoping to find them, "MINERVA!"

I hoped my friends hadn't turned on each other in my absence.

 **Minerva "Minnie" McCarthy (17) D4F**

I couldn't see, couldn't feel, couldn't do anything except run, run, _run._ My vision was blurry, and I hit a tree. Staggering, I stepped back and started running, ignoring the pain in my hands from the crash.

I didn't know what was happening, all I knew that I had to run, keep running, and not stop, not stop, because stopping would lead to thinking, and I couldn't afford to do that.

I tripped over an outgrown root, falling forward, cutting and bruising myself. The impact had made me stop, something I hadn't wanted to do, and now I couldn't get up. I remained lying on the ground, pebble and thorns and twigs digging into my skin, but I was numb to them. The trees were dense, and I could barely make out the stars.

And now, tears started flowing freely.

My hands stayed still limply by my side as I stared into space, the tears hindering my vision. Why was I crying? Wasn't I here just for this? To-to-

I choked, swallowing hard. My chest was burning, aching and soon my breathing got difficult too, as the situation started hitting me, as the pain of my actions started dawning on me, and as I felt a sudden rush of disgust at myself.

Julian...

I killed him. My first kill in the arena happened to be my own ally, my own _friend,_ the person who made life so much easier here just by his mere presence. I felt my chest heaving as I replayed the whole scene in my mind rather involuntarily. My friend, covered by those cursed bugs, being eaten alive, skin falling out, blood oozing and him begging, _begging_ for death...

"AAAAHHHHHH!" I screamed, hitting my fist hard on the ground, the stones drawing out blood. Julian had been reduced to that mess, robbed of his dignity, and I was left to feel the torment of guilt and self disgust. Why-why did I volunteer...?! Was it worth it? I could have made money for my sister's surgery some other way! Why did I choose this? How was I supposed to live with this?!

"JULIAN!" I cried, wailing on the ground, remembering it again and again _and again,_ and now I was trembling hard, feeling cold, feeling as if despair was clouding around me, and I shut my eyes tightly, only to see Julian smiling and I let out a distressed cry again. I didn't want to see him!

"Minnie!"

And I could vaguely recognise that voice, I had heard it somewhere, but I didn't get up, I just wanted to remain where I was, never move an inch, lying on the soft soil and let things just happen.

But there was someone there, someone calling out my name, somebody who forced me to sit up, and somebody who cupped my face in their hands, eyes looking worried, and I recognised her, recognised her from another time. She grabbed my shoulders and shook me hard, and then I started, for I remembered who it was.

"Minnie!" Venus asked, her voice on the edge of panic, "What happened to you?! Where's Julian?!"

"What happened to me?" I repeated as if in a trance, "Where's...?"

Oh, she was asking about Julian. I vaguely registered the sword by her side but I didn't care any more.

"Julian..." I whispered, as tears started flowing again, "I killed him."

My voice was mechanical as I declared that, and I noticed she withdrew her hands from me, staring hard, face blank, as a single tears started rolling down her right eye.

"You... What?" she whispered softly, staring hard, perhaps wanting me to say that it was a joke.

"He was being eaten by bugs," I continued in the same lifeless voice, "He asked me to do it Venus. And I did exactly that. I killed him."

I didn't know how she would take it, but I felt relieved when she slapped me hard on my face, then slapped me again, before pushing me so hard that I almost lost my breath. And I welcomed that, for if she had said that she could understand, that it was okay, I wouldn't have been able to bear it.

"YOU KILLED HIM!"

And she was crying now, furious at me, but crying hard, and she grabbed me by the T shirt and shook me hard.

"I HAD GIVEN YOU MY SWORD TO STAY SAFE MINERVA! NOT TO KILL MY FRIEND!"

Her tone had a manic edge to it now, and I was finally registering things, finally took notice of her face, red with anger, chest heaving hard, and before I knew it, she had picked up her sword and brought it down...

... Pausing it right at my neck.

I tried not to look at her sword, it had Julian's blood on it, and instead looked into her distressed eyes, making no attempt to avoid her attack if one were to come. Slowly, she withdrew her sword, hand shaking in rage and sadness.

"When I meet you next time," she whispered, "I'll kill you, Minerva. Till then, consider every breath of yours as a gift from me."

And she turned around, marching away, as I started crying again, crying at the retreating body of my friend, crying at my deeds, and crying for my dead friend.

 **Day Five**

 **Arbor Basswood (17) D7M**

I didn't know when the two of us had fallen asleep last night, but it had not been wise to do so together. Anyone could have attacked us, we just got lucky.

I was awake now, and little Raiza was sleeping soundly, her tiny head in my lap, and I had to admit she looked like any other cute kid when sleeping. And she was holding my left hand in her small ones, holding it tightly too, and I smiled, stroking her hair gently.

She was a nice girl, Raiza, and very intelligent too. If I got out of here, and if I would ever have a daughter, I'd name her Raiza, in the hope that the similarity of names would make her as clever too. Of course, that was a big if, I wasn't delusional and knew that others had a greater chance of winning, the Careers, even though Julian, Eritine and Atlas were dead. There were other Careers who could rip me apart, Outliers who could outsmart me, and Raiza, who could destroy me. My hand stopped stroking her head, and I glanced down at her. She was one of the biggest threats in the arena, despite being young, and we were already in the final nine.

But I couldn't bring myself to do it, to kill her in her sleep or kill her at all, because, despite everything I was _attached_ to the girl, I _loved_ her and I _cared_ for her. Her mere presence had receded my emotional pain of being assaulted by my doppelganger, even if it was a hallucination. She had made life much easier for me, entertaining even, and I was grateful for her presence.

"Rise and shine, princess," I whispered in her ear and she squirmed, but didn't wake up, not until I started tickling her tummy, which jolted her awake.

"What's your problem?!" she exclaimed, releasing the hand she'd been holding, and I laughed out, and pinched her cheek, making her really angry, and she swatted my hand away.

"I was feeling bored."

"Come _on_!" she exclaimed, "You can't be so mean! You know I'm tired!"

"I woke up _hours_ ago," I retorted, lying through my teeth, "I let you sleep enough."

"Yesterday, I got the sponsor gifts. I let you eat enough. No more food for you."

"Hey! No fair!"

"You're the last person who should talk about fairness, Arbor."

I scowled at her even as she raised her brows, challenging me to say something, but I kept quiet, because it was true that she had more food, and I needed it. So I pulled her hard and she fell against my lap. Patting her head hard, I started singing a lullaby in the worst possible voice I could muster.

"Sleep, sleep, sleep kiddo

"In the morning we'll play Ludo

"Fairies will light up the sky

"On alcohol we will be high-"

"STOP!" she exclaimed and pushed my hand away, getting up hastily, "That was _torture!_ How can _anyone_ sing so badly?!"

"Well, when you have enough practice to sing terribly, and when you're dealing with a kid like you, it just happens."

She crossed her arms and looked at me blankly, her face screaming, 'Horrible Joke!' and I laughed out.

It was then that I heard the double _chime!_ And looked up to see two parachutes descending. One landed at my feet, other at hers. I had received a nice fruit basket, with a lot of... Fruits. Raiza though, had received a bottle of very cold chocolate, and I was kind of jealous, because that's what one would need in this unbearable heat. However, it was the note that had caught my attention.

Raiza was reading it, and had again held her lighter to it, almost as if she was trying to decode a message, before burning it.

"Thanks guys!" she said, looking at one of the visible cameras.

"Yes, thank you for the gift!" I grinned, and turned to see that Raiza was smiling. It was soft, and barely noticeable, but it was there, and I was sure it wasn't because of the chocolate drink.

"Arbor, what day is this?"

"Fifth," I said casually, keeping all suspicion out of my voice, "Why?"

"No, just wondering."

And with that, she opened the bottle and took a swig, and her happy demeanour was scaring me now.

"Cheers, Arbor."

 **Hey guys! So, this is another death free chapter, but I think it was interesting, so I'd love your thoughts on this. I don't have much to say, except I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **I'd like to give a shout out to a few stories here! Do check out Paradigm of Writing new SYOT Bombs and Bullets! Also, IVolunteerAsAuthor has a new story open too. Last, but not the least, AmericanPi is accepting submissions for her new story, which will start in November. All of them are really good writers, so do check them out!**

 **Alliances:**

 **Double Trouble : Ajax, Welton**

 **Ah! : Raiza, Arbor**

 **Have a great day!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Day Five**

 **Venus Hallow (17) D2F**

The forest seemed to be getting denser with each step that I took, although I was sure that it was just me imagining things. I stumbled over some of the roots that were jutting out, and almost cut myself with my own sword. I didn't want to look at it, because no matter how hard I tried, it was still _red._ No amount of rubbing wiped off the blood completely, and while I was extremely tempted to use my water to clean it up, I knew it would be stupid.

And so, I had to bear with it.

I thought about Julian as I walked ahead, slowly so that I could think things through. We might not have been close friends before boarding the train to the Capitol, but we had known each other for _years_ , and I could argue that we were somewhat friends during all that time too. Knowing that somebody who I used to see almost daily was _gone_ , wiped out of existence…

We did turn out to be good friends after all. I knew for a fact I wouldn't have turned on him, and he would have reciprocated the same.

I stopped, as I remembered the last time that I had seen him. And, then, I felt my involuntary tears streaming down my face, and I was falling down, down against the hard ground, sword tossed beside me, my whole attention focused on keeping myself from howling. Whatever the case, I wanted to get out of this hell, and I was going to do whatever I could to ensure that. And right now, showing the Capitolites how I actually felt wasn't a good idea, so I wiped away my tears furiously, staggering to my face like a drunk woman, and inhaled deeply. I had to go on, I had to go on and be the Career who had to bring honour to her District, the kind that the Capitol bought into the most.

I wondered how the Capitol must be viewing Minnie at the moment. Thinking of Minnie was painful too, because now, when I was much calmer, I realised I shouldn't have treated her the way I did. It had been a mercy ill after all, and probably Julian appreciated her help. I should have had been more understanding, but I knew that wasn't really possible at the moment, due to the sheer feelings that had been coursing through my heart. I had been _so_ angry, and I knew for a fact that I had wanted to kill her. I still had no idea what had stopped me in the first place, except that I still considered her a friend, and I didn't want to be like her.

 _Maybe I should go back and look for her._

I seriously pondered over the notion as I came to a halt, somewhat tired of all the walking and all the emotions that I had been going through, and I sighed. She had looked so… resigned, when I had brought the sword down. It was then I realised that it had been her resignation to her fate that had stopped me last night from killing her.

"Alright, Minerva," I whispered, closing my eyes, picturing her in my head, "Probably, I really should join you back. I hope you're safe till now."

And that's what I was about to do; go and search for her and let her know that I felt terrible for being so harsh on her, when the very earth started to shake under my feet, almost making me fall on my face. I didn't know whether it was an earthquake or not, but the trembling ground wasn't the reason for my anxiousness at the moment.

No, it was the sound, the very ancient sound, that seemed to verberate from every single object in the jungle, the rumble that echoed through the air, and my tensed heart that I could feel to be moving with the rhythm of the beautiful yet deadly sound. I didn't know what was causing it, and it was taking all my efforts to not start panicking.

"What the…"

I didn't know what I should do, but I knew being around wasn't the best course of action, so I ran as fast as I could, trying to get away from the spot, but neither the trembling of the earth nor the deadly sound lessened. And as I ran, I realised what was causing it, and despite myself I let out a gasp.

 _Who_ would do _that_?!

 **Junova "June" Parkers (15) D10F**

To hell with everything!

I stared from behind a broad tree, looking at the two boys that were the only obstacle to my path of getting the water that I so needed.

Atlas' bag had had a lot of supplies, but I had run out of water, and I had honestly hoped that there would be nobody by the stream. After all, weren't the Careers supposed to go around 'hunting' tributes? They wouldn't stay at one place, right?

Well, it turned out I was wrong.

There they were, a real Career and a wannabe Career, sitting peacefully in the meadow by the stream, the boy from Five looking really exhausted. He was probably sick or something; it was highly possible given our conditions and the extreme heat of this arena. I kind of wished he was somewhere else, probably dead, as that would make things so much easier for me. And then there was the boy from One, who seemed to be taking care of his ally. Now, why would he do that in the arena? I had no idea. As a Career, I would have expected him to be logical and cold in his relationships, but apparently that wasn't the case.

Oh goodness, _why_ were they here?

The sight of the stream, clear and beautiful, was making my mouth water, and driving me into desperation. I had to get the water at any cost, without getting killed, for I was sure that, despite looking so worn out and ill, they could still kill me.

"Ajax, are you feeling well enough to leave?"

"I don't think so, Welton. The medicines were really strong, and I think my body needs rest to recover from it."

"Sure. We'll stay here then. I'll probably go and look for something to eat."

"Welton, both you and I know that there's nothing to eat in this arena. I don't want you to find a berry or something, only to discover it to be poisonous the hard way."

"You're right. I guess we're dependent on whatever supplies we have then."

"Yeah, at least for now."

"What do you mean?"

"Welton, the Feast would be coming up soon. Hypothetically, we should get all our supplies then."

" _Hypothetically."_

"Well, yes, because we _might_ end up dead in the process."

My blood froze as I listened to their conversation. Of course, the Feast must be coming up soon. And knowing the monster that Matthew Hayes was, he would certainly make it mandatory. And if all the remaining tributes turned up there… I knew I would be dead.

And the mere thought struck me like lightning. In all the time that I'd been here, including my encounter with Atlas, I had not thought once that I would die. As long as I was against one person, I knew I had it in me to survive, because survival was something that I had always had to work on. But during the Feast, I knew it wouldn't happen. I was not big or strong, and I knew stealth could only take me so far.

And fear was gripping me now, clutching my heart, constricting it harder and harder and harder… and I felt much thirstier, as if an animal was clawing at my throat. I didn't want to die, especially not here, not for so called 'entertainment', and I had to get away. But how…?

And there it was, staring me in the face. The solution to my problem, and my heart leapt. I could get out alive, I wouldn't be hunted by the Careers. I had never wanted to resort to this, but I wanted to live, and I wanted to live freely. being a victor would have made things easier, but I didn't think it was possible, not with at least four Careers around. My Now, if only I could get there…

I trudged around the periphery of the jungle carefully, trying to avoid making any sound. When I was sure that I was some distance away from the Careers, I stepped out slowly, hoping they wouldn't see me.

Of course, that didn't happen.

"Stop right there!" Welton cried out, and soon he had his sword in his hands, running towards me, reminding me of the countless Peacekeepers I had fooled back when I had a normal life. And so, I was running hard too, aim clear, and as he neared me, I threw Atlas' bag at him to slow him down. Thankfully, it worked. Not for long though, for he was soon closing the distance again, and I couldn't run any faster than I already was.

"Welton stop!"

I didn't know why Ajax had asked his ally to stop, or whether he had followed, as I didn't bother looking back. However, I could feel that nobody was chasing after me, not when I ran halfway across the meadow, not when I climbed the stairs to the marble alter, and not when I fearfully grabbed the long golden chain. I kept holding it, and let out a shaky breath, shutting my eyes.

And then, I moved the chain back and forth, and immediately fell down due to the trembling of the ground.

The ancient looking Deserter's Bell moved like a pendulum, its sound like an ancient and powerful chant, low and terrifying. The very earth trembled from its impact, and the golden Bell moved, moved as if in a slow dance, and I couldn't help but remain fixated, mouth agape. I was vaguely aware of the Careers staring at me, even as the Bell swayed, and its rumble could be _felt_ more than it could be heard, and I was aware that, throughout this arena, people must have been brought to a standstill by this majestic Bell, made of enough gold to provide me with a lifetime of money to live comfortably. I wished I could carry this Bell, even though I felt terrified of it.

"Tributes!" I could hear Matthew's voice, "There shall be no fighting amongst you until further notice. You will not attack each other, fatally or otherwise."

And I could feel another sound, a sound that filled me with relief. And I winked at the Careers, feeling triumphant. Sure, I was not the winner, and I would have to pay, but unlike the rest of the tributes, I would live.

Oh, the hovercraft looked so pretty right now!

 **Night Five**

 **Welton Luxor (18) D1M**

It had been a long while since Junova used the Bell, but I could still hear its echoes.

It had looked so elegant, sounded so mysterious, and had moved so gracefully. I didn't know whether they had replicated a masterpiece from some ancient civilisation or if it _was_ really as grand as it looked and sounded, but it had been a spectacle. As far as Junova was concerned, I was not surprised at all, and I didn't even know why. I just felt that she was the most likely user of the Bell. I just hoped her family wasn't punished in the way I thought they would be.

Ajax was feeling better now, thankfully. Sasha had sent some really strong medicines for heat stroke, and I was grateful, because I hadn't known what to do with my unconscious friend. The only thing I could think of was to get him to a water source and keep bathing him to keep his body cool. His skin had been burning so much, and he had been mumbling something that I didn't quite get, mumbling some gibberish, and I had then realised that the problem was far more serious than I had thought. His T-shirt had been really sweaty, and no matter how much I cooled him down, his body heat would negate all my efforts. However, the medicines had helped greatly, even though they were so strong that he still felt weakness in his body. I decided we should rest here for probably another night, before deciding whether he could continue or not.

"I'm sorry that I've been such a pain to you, Welton," he whispered, fiddling with the small knife that Sasha had sent along with the medicines, although I couldn't understand why he would do that considering Ajax already had a sword.

"No, you haven't," I said and smiled at him, scooting down beside him as he shut his eyes, lying on the lush green grass, looking really tensed but beautiful at the same time.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Much better," he replied and smiled, "I might be as good as new tomorrow morning after all."

"That's great to hear!"

"All thanks to you, Welton. All thanks to you."

"Any friend would do that, Ajax."

"Probably. But not everyone would prove their friendship in the arena."

I didn't know why, but the way he said that just made me sad. It was probably his own tone, so gloomy, so upset, that did the trick. But even as he stared at the starry sky, silent now, I couldn't help but wonder whether he would have looked out for me. In my heart, even though I didn't want to admit it, I knew he wouldn't. it wasn't because he was a bad person, but his motives for volunteering were different. He was here to save his people, for a noble cause, and he knew that he needed to be alive to fulfil that purpose. I didn't want to think about it though, for I knew it would hurt.

"Welton…" he continued, and to my shock, his voice had cracked, "Thank you so much. For everything. I'll never forget how great a friend you are."

I gently patted his head, glad that he didn't swat me away. He still had a mild fever, but it would get better soon, with some rest.

"I'm also really sorry."

"What? Why?"

I was really surprised by this statement. I could understand him feeling grateful, but him apologising? For what?

"For being a burden."

"You are not a burden."

"I'm sorry…"

And to my horror, he had started crying, sobbing hard, sitting up with a jerk and throwing his arms around me. He was trembling violently as he cried, and I hugged him back.

"What's wrong?!"

"I'm so sorry Welton… Please forgive me…"

I was about to ask him what he meant by that, and whether he was feeling okay, when I felt it happening. Pain shot through my body through my abdomen, and I let out a cry, even as his tears continued to wet my shoulders. My grip over his body started loosening even as he pulled out his knife from my stomach, making me gasp again in pain.

I should have had known…

And he dropped the knife, not looking at me, letting his face fall in his hands, and cried, almost wailing, repeatedly apologising. I pressed my hands against the wound, already knowing it was fatal even as I started feeling cold in this extremely hot arena. I let out a shaky breath and looked up at the sky. I wasn't angry with Ajax because of what he had done; it was my fault that I had let my humanity and feelings take over. I smiled at the sky, and hoped he could see me on his screen.

"I'm sorry, Alvar…"

 **So, it's been a while since we had an update here, eh? I hope you liked this chapter, although I must say it is a bit rusty. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the events here, so please drop in a review! On another note, we're in the final seven! The Games will most likely soon come to a close, so there's that.**

 **Eulogies:**

 **9** **th** **\- Junova Parkers: I really love Junova. She is… everything I like in a character. She is stealthy, she is selfish, she is a survivor, and she is, unintentionally, quite funny. I also really like how she's just fifteen and yet such a compelling character. Like, selfish fifteen-year-olds are kind of rare in SYOTs, for some reason. I loved her so much, in fact, that I couldn't even kill her, and thus she was the ideal candidate to use the Deserter's Bell. You'll be missed. Enjoy life while you can!**

 **8** **th** **\- Welton Luxor: Okay, I loved Welton! A lot! He was really serious and calm yet angry and I could just feel that I have seen a Welton in my personal life too, you know? He was that relatable, at least to me. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough votes, and both Santiago and I knew that he wasn't winning. Hence, we discussed about how we should go about it, and thus, this happened. I'm sorry Welton, that you had to die due to betrayal from the person whom you had really grown to care for, probably even love, but as you correctly noted, he has a noble cause to fight for. Rest in peace you amazing guy, you'll be missed.**

 **I find it really interesting that the only alliance left right now is the most unlikely one; that of Raiza and Arbor. XD**

 **So, I have an announcement. The polls for the top four are open now! please don't forget to vote, as these are really important. Please, also make sure to vote for four people, just so that it makes things easier for me.**

 **In case you are looking to submit characters, Lord Shiro has a partial open right now. it has a good concept where you can get really creative, so do check it out!**

 **Alliances:**

 **Ah! : Raiza, Arbor**

 **Death List:**

 **Ridge- committed suicide**

 **Dexter- blew up at the cornucopia**

 **Monroe- killed by Welton**

 **Keegan- killed by Atlas**

 **Aristaeus- killed by Eritine**

 **Malakai- killed by Ajax**

 **Sylo- killed by Atlas**

 **Audrey- killed by Venus**

 **Corinne- killed by Atlas**

 **Rebecca- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Max- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Atlas- killed by Eritine**

 **Misha- killed by Caterpie mutt**

 **Eritine – killed by Farouka**

 **Julian – killed by Minnie**

 **Juova- used the Deserter's Bell; alive**

 **Welton- killed by Ajax**

 **Have a great day!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Night Five**

 **Ajax Volt (18) D5M**

The silence was becoming impossible to bear now.

I kept my eyes shut tightly, even as the tears trickled down. I didn't want to see it, I didn't want to see _him._ I knew he was there, sprawled on the ground, probably regretting in the last moments of his life his efforts to help and heal me. _I_ regretted it, and I could smell his sense of betrayal even from his corpse.

And then there were my hands. I didn't want to look at them either, knowing they were stained in red, the red of his blood, and I didn't have enough courage in me to look at it, to be reminded of what I had done.

A sob escaped my lips.

"Thank you so much," I whispered, knowing I couldn't speak any louder, my throat was already constricting, "Thank you so much for everything. And I'm so, so sorry... You deserved better."

I inhaled deeply, remembering the hug we had just a few minutes ago, already feeling as if it was from some another time.

"You were a good friend, and I'm ashamed of what I have done. But I need to get out, Wel- friend. This isn't just about me, this is about the countless children I love. I hope you can—I hope you can forgive me."

I still hadn't opened my eyes, even as I heard the hovercraft approaching. Letting out a shaky breath, I reached out for his hand and squeezed gently, kind of wishing it had squeezed back.

"Farewell."

And I turned away before getting to my feet, eyes still closed, following the sound of the stream. The water brought relief to my hands, as I could feel his blood washing away, and I sighed again. In the distance, I could hear the hovercraft landing, and taking him away. My stomach tightened as I thought about him, his limp body being tossed around carelessly, not getting the respect it deserved, and I was tempted to look, look at him one last time, but I knew I couldn't bring myself to do that. I knew that if I risked one glance at him, I would never be able to forgive myself.

It was already going to be so hard.

All my life, I'd been raised to follow my morals and be ethical, to think about the society, about humanity at large. Trust was of paramount importance, and yet here I was. Betraying my friend, betraying my soul, betraying everything I held dear, feeling so, so, _so_ ashamed of myself.

I was vaguely aware that the hovercraft had risen, taking away my friend, and I finally opened my eyes, slowly, not wanting to do so. I glanced at my hands, and I had been right, the blood was gone. Shakily, I started walking back to where I had left him, bile rising in my throat, and I was grateful that it was night as tears brimmed up in my eyes again. I picked up my bag and sword, but decided against touching the blood stained knife. I couldn't even bring myself to look at it.

Glancing at the starry sky once, I started walking away from the spot hurriedly towards the cave, knowing well that nobody would approach me there.

 **Day Six**

 **Farouka Qadri (16) D12F**

What had I done? What had I done? What had I _done_?!

I had tried to put in as much distance as I could between myself and-and _her,_ but I couldn't wipe her away from my head. She was there, smirking slyly, looking down at me. I saw her killing Aristaeus, again and again and _again,_ and I saw her kill Corinne although I didn't know whether that really had been the case. I saw her killing Keegan too, even though I knew it had been Atlas to do so. It didn't matter, she was haunting me, haunting me so badly.

"GET OUT!" I screamed, but the smirking face of Eritine Hadron was stuck in my mind maybe by some permanent glue, for it refused to go away. I cried out in frustration, slapping myself hard, but all I heard was her loud, cruel laugh.

"STOP!"

And, of course, it didn't stop. I was sure it wouldn't, not until I was driven mad by it, not until I banged my head on a tree or something.

By this point, I was ready to do even that.

And so, I pounded my head against a nearby tree, immediately regretting it. My head ached, I felt dizzy, I could feel a bit of my warm blood oozing out, but above all, her laughter became louder and louder and louder, even as I fell back on the ground, screaming hard, hoping my own voice will drown out hers, but that didn't seem to work either.

And then... Her laughter morphed into something else, something familiar yet old, a man's voice... A man I knew only too well... And now I was crying hard, face in my hands, blood sticking to my fingers, mixing with the tears, as Eritine's smirking face was replaced by my dad's smiling one, his eyes looking at me cruelly. I saw him beating my mother again, beating me, I heard his yells, and I was yelling too. I needed this to stop, stop, stop, STOP!

"GO AWAY!" I cried out, beating my fists on the ground, the stones digging into my skin and drawing blood but I didn't care. I just needed it to stop, his voice was haunting me.

And then they got together, his and Eritine's voices, and it was getting so hard to breathe, so hard to get out, so hard to deal with this.

 _They're not real!_

And the thing was, I knew it. I knew they weren't real. That didn't mean I could overcome it. The fact that they weren't real made it even scarier, and in the back of my mind I was aware that the Capitolites were probably giggling at my state, that my mother must be crying for me, and it was thinking of her that lowered the volume of the laughs.

"Go away," I said slowly, not raising my voice anymore, the voice not even recognisable, even as I felt my temper rise. These dead people couldn't haunt me, at least not by living inside my head. It was time they got out.

I could still hear their laughs, but suddenly they didn't matter. Nothing mattered. If their haunting presence was what I needed to win, so be it.

And I couldn't help but smirk in the likeness of Eritine. They thought they could bother me? Well, I had killed them, and I would kill them again if I had to. Nothing mattered now, I had to return to my mother.

I would kill as many times as I needed to do so.

 **Bina Bishop (15) D3F**

The sun was really strong, and it was bothering me a lot. I had never been exposed to such extremely hot conditions, and my skin was full of rashes and boils because of it. The mosquitoes were bothersome too, and it was a task to keep swatting them away.

Still, I was grateful for them.

If I weren't swatting away mosquitoes, I would have been thinking of Misha. I could still recall the way she had died. That caterpillar... I didn't want to think about it. She had been a nice person, a good friend, and definitely didn't deserve the end she got. I was frustrated with myself for not being able to do enough to save her. I hadn't been able to do anything to save Ridge either.

I was useless.

But I wasn't going to remain so. I wasn't going to let their sacrifice go in vain.

"You have to win."

That's what Ridge had said. I _had_ to win, and I knew I wasn't going to give myself any other option. Somebody had used the Bell yesterday, saving their life but endangering their loved ones'. Well, I wasn't going to do that. No, I was here to win, to take out everyone else. It was time to let go of humanity, of feelings, of morals. It was time to think about myself, my survival, and I wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of it.

But first, I needed to devise a strategy. There were three Careers around, and all of them were dangerous. Out of them, only Minerva had shown any hesitance in killing. However, I didn't know whether it was still the case. After all, she and Venus were the highest scorers in the Private Sessions.

As Ridge started entering my mind again at the thought of Private Sessions, I stood up and started pacing. How could I take down the other six tributes, including a mere child? I sighed, clenching my fists. I didn't want to hurt Raiza; she was young and innocent, but I knew I couldn't spare her. I had to go back to my family, and her being young and innocent had already brought her to the Final Seven. I couldn't let her walk away as a victor.

Then there were the Careers. I didn't know whether they were in a group or not, although considering so many of them were dead, I didn't think they were. Ajax was deadly, a score of nine for a boy from Five should spell as much. Venus and Minerva were classic Careers, and taking them down would be hard.

I hadn't really thought much of Farouka initially, but she was here, in Final Seven, against all odds. I didn't know much about her, and that made her a threat. However, I was sure she wasn't in an alliance right now, and possibly she would be the easiest for me to finish off, after Raiza.

And then there was Arbor, who confused me back in the training centre and confused me now. He had looked nothing special, except that he was smart, but he had a score of eight, a Career level score. Everyone was unclear about him, and I was no exception. I didn't know whether he was a threat or not, but I had to eliminate him quickly.

But how would I go about killing them? I didn't know where they were, and I only had a knife as a weapon. Maybe I should try to find a weaker one, like Farouka, and kill them in their sleep? I was disgusted at my thoughts.

 _But you have to get out alive._

And that was it. I had to get out alive. I had to get over all the hurdles.

"Attention tributes!"

I was caught off guard at the sudden voice of Matthew Hayes, and almost fell down due to how loud it was.

"I'd like to congratulate all of you for making it to the Final Seven! You all have played really well, and you should feel proud of yourselves for coming so far. To celebrate your beautiful journey thus far, we're organising a Feast for you! Tomorrow, on the seventh day of the Seventy Third Annual Hunger Games, I'd like to invite you all to Feast, which will take place near the cave by the meadow. Please note that attendance is mandatory. You will be notified of the time tomorrow one hour in advance. Till then, Happy Hunger Games!"

The Feast... Oh no!

 **Hello! Here's a short chapter, just to catch up with our people. I guess the first two POVs are really short, and I apologise for that. Anyway, what did you think of the chapter? I'd love to hear your thoughts, please drop in a review! :D**

 **So, we'll have the Feast in the chapter after the next, and I guess we're all somewhat excited for it! XD Who do you think will be eliminated there?**

 **Also, the poll has closed. Thanks everyone who voted!**

 **Alliances:**

 **Ah! : Raiza, Arbor**

 **On another note, SYOT Alliance forum is organising its third SYOT Awards! Please do take a look at the information available, and join the forum to participate! :D**

 **Have a great day!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Night Six**

 **Raiza Relic (12) D11F**

I couldn't believe this day was on me.

The time in the arena had felt like six years instead of six days. It had been terrible, but I didn't have much problem. I had managed to stay away from trouble, and I was grateful for that. I wish I could say that it was simply due to my own intelligence, but I couldn't ignore what my companion offered me.

I guess I had started trusting Arbor Basswood.

Not enough to tell him everything about myself, but enough to relax around him, enough to laugh with him. I wanted him to win if I couldn't, and I wasn't delusional. I knew I didn't have much chances of winning, not when the Feast was coming. Whatever the case, tomorrow was a big day, and I was excited to be honest. I was afraid I could die, but there was also a chance of survival, survival from this damned arena.

But I had to remain calm. Arbor was at least as smart as me, and could pick up on clues rather easily. Hell, he was staring at me _now,_ as if I'd tell him what was going on.

"What's wrong, Arbor?"

"I feel you're hiding something from me."

"Well, obviously I am. You're not my best friend that I'll share everything with you."

"You know I don't mean it that way."

"In what way do you mean it then?"

He frowned slightly, probably contemplating on whether he should say it out loud. From his eyes though, I could tell he decided against it.

"Raiza..." he said, "I-well..."

And it was now that I was getting panicky. Arbor never looked so unsure of himself. Even when I had found him tormented, he had recovered quickly. In fact, his worried self was actually tensing me. It would not do to have him doubt himself! Not at this stage! Not when he could win! A part of me felt proud of myself too though, because I was sure Arbor wouldn't have shown this side to anyone other than his family.

"What's the matter?" I asked slowly, fearing what he would say.

"Raiza- Raiza, if I die... Can you please let my family know I love them? I don't think I ever told them that when I was around them, and I honestly regret that now."

He sighed, and that reflected heavily on his pain. As I looked at his face, I felt as if somebody had punched me in my chest. Because this couldn't be Arbor, not my Arbor. My friend was not somebody who would accept defeat, but now that I looked at him, I just saw a guy who had given up all hope.

And that wasn't acceptable.

So I stared back at him calmly, not bothering to give him a response, save for a hard slap across his downcast face, and I couldn't express to even myself how satisfied u felt.

"Oye!" he cried out, "Are you mental?!"

"Now you look fine," I said smugly even as he glared daggers at me, "Now, if you do lose, I'll definitely try and tell your family, but that's possible only if I win. However, I do believe that it'll be you winning."

And I honestly believed that. Arbor may not be a Career, but he was clever enough to outsmart literally everyone here. It was a shame he didn't believe in himself.

To my surprise, he wrapped his arms around me, and touched his lips gently to my forehead. I shut my eyes, and gingerly hugged him back. I found it hard to believe sometimes that I found my closest friend in a place like the arena, but here we were, in each other's embrace, not knowing how long it would last, but hopeful for the future all the same.

 **Arbor Basswood (17) D7M**

I held onto the girl tightly, the girl who could have been my twin if we were actually related and if she weren't so young.

"What are you planning to do?" I whispered in her ear, and I could feel her shiver in my embrace, but she didn't let go. So there was _something_ going on. And if her actions were anything to go by, I probably had a fair idea of what it would be.

"Nothing, Arbor," she said, as confident as always, but I knew she was lying. However, I wasn't going to bother her anymore regarding this, so I released her with a smile.

"We've run out of water, just so you know."

She looked at me in surprise at that.

"We have?"

"Yeah," I sighed, "I mean, we might have half a litre between the two of us but that'll get over quickly."

"Don't tell me we need to go and fill up our bottles!"

"Well, that's what I wanted to say, but I won't now, considering that you don't want me to."

She let out an exasperated groan that made me chuckle, earning a glare from her. In all the time that we'd been here, and through all that we'd faced, including loads of minor mutts, I never got bored of this little girl, this cute little girl, who I would have adopted as my sister if I could.

"Before we head to the stream," I said, smirking, "Would you like to dance, Raiza?"

"Would I like to what?!" she exclaimed, bewildered.

"Dance, Raiza, dance. That activity where people move their bodies in a particular rhythm to form a kind of art."

"I know what dance means, Arbor. I'm just surprised that a person like you would suggest that."

"A person like me?"

"Well, a conceited person like you, who would consider everything beneath them."

"You talk to much sister."

And with that, I pulled her off the ground. To my pleasant surprise, she played along, and soon we were dancing to some imaginary tunes.

"I wish there was real music here," she said.

"I wish we were dressed better," I replied.

And that was honestly what bugged me right now. We were dressed in dirt T shirt and shorts, covered in grime, and I felt filthy every time I thought about how I looked. Raiza laughed out at that, and I dearly wanted to tell her that her laugh was one of the most beautiful in the world, that she should laugh more often, but I knew that it would make her conscious instead, so I kept shut.

She twirled slowly, and I lifted her up, surprised at how light she was. She gracefully threw her arms in the air as I twirled, holding her up. By the time I set her down again, she had a big smile on her face, a real smile and not a smirk that I usually wore.

"That was great, Arbor," she said, "Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

And I didn't want to say anything else, because one way or the other, tomorrow could be the last we'd see of each other. I ruffled her hair gently, sure that she still remained the biggest threat to me, and still aware that I could not harm her.

"Come on kiddo. Let's go and fill our bottles."

 **Minerva "Minnie" McCarthy (17) D4F**

I didn't want to touch them.

The bow and a quiver of arrows was sprawled on the ground, along with a knife. Finally, I had been sponsored weapons, but I felt disgusted just by looking at these 'gifts'. After all, I had received them just because I killed Julian, just because I was forced into killing Julian. And here were the means to off many more of them.

I didn't touch them, but I knew I had no other option but to use them if I wanted to survive. I yelled out in frustration, not caring whether that would attract some unwanted attention. I just wanted to scream and scream and _scream_ till my throat went raw, till I had vomited all my feelings, my sadness and the dread that was clouding my heart. I forced myself to think of my family, of Michelle, and couldn't help but feel even worse.

And then there was Venus, who hated me now, who had almost killed me, and I didn't blame her for it, I didn't blame her at all.

 _When I meet you next time, I'll kill you, Minerva. Till then, consider every breath of yours as a gift from me._

I shuddered as I recalled that moment, the sword resting against my neck, close enough to kill me had she wanted to. But she hadn't, she hadn't...

I punched the ground hard. What was the point even if she hadn't? She would probably kill me in the Feast, or I would kill her, there was no scope for building our friendship.

Or was there?

I leaned against one of the trees, watching the bow I had received. Could I bring myself to kill Venus? Julian's death still haunted me, and I knew I wasn't going to get over it anytime soon, although I was much better than I was then.

I wished I had been abandoned as a child or something. Then, I wouldn't feel horrible about using the Bell and leaving this darned place. Or I might not have even volunteered in the first place.

"Stupid!" I cried out, "Stupid! What the hell!"

I didn't know who I was addressing, but I was swearing now, swearing hard, hoping it would make me feel better, hoping it would drive me to do what was necessary. Venus had to die for me to go home, and just because she didn't fight much didn't mean she wasn't skilled. Her score had been the same as mine, and I knew I was skilled, even though I didn't want to use them.

 _No Minnie, it's time to plan._

Indeed, it was. Moping around, thinking I couldn't do it, dreading tomorrow... None of that was going to help me. It was time I helped myself.

And so, I forced myself to stand up, sighing shakily, keeping my tears at bay as I stooped down to pick up my sponsored gifts. There were only a few arrows there, but it would have to do. The knife could come in handy, just in case.

And then, I set out towards the meadow, outside this darned forest. I needed to inspect the area near the cave before tomorrow came, so that I knew how to efficiently use the location.

Hopefully, nobody else would have thought to do the same.

 **Hello! So I'm here really quick, but that's because I'm hyped! Sorry the chapter is short, but I hope you like it.**

 **So the Feast is next! It's the time you start predicting, so let me know your predictions in a review!**

 **Also, I want to ask you something. I've noticed that the reviews for this story have been a bit on the lower end. Is it because of my writing or something? If that's the case, please let me know, and I'll work on it. I'm not complaining, I'm grateful for all the reviews and messages I get, but I'm just curious if something is wrong, because I have tried to keep my updates somewhat consistent as well.**

 **Anyway, we're left with just two chapters for the Games! :D I can't believe it's actually come to that point, it always seems like a miracle. XD**

 **Alliances:**

 **Ah! : Raiza, Arbor**

 **Have a great day!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Day Seven**

 **Bina Bishop (15) D3F**

I didn't know when we'd receive the signal for the Feast, but I headed for the cave nonetheless.

Probably, if I got there early, I'd be able to study to where the other tributes could hide. Although, as far as I remembered, there was absolutely no place to hide there other than the cave itself, and the Gamemakers wouldn't let people use that for long. Had anyone even used the cave? Or was it completely useless?

I trudged through the forest, knife clutched tightly, wishing I could have laid out a trap or something for the others. But I remembered the meadow, and it was impossible to do anything of the sort there.

I wondered if the others were going to be early as well. That would be bothersome. Could I just show up and run from the place? Was it possible?

As I walked, I felt a sudden movement behind me. I whirled around, holding the knife tightly, eyes darting, even as the intruder exposed herself.

Farouka Qadri didn't look too special, except that she had a smirk on her face and a sickle in her hands, and I immediately knew my knife would be useless against that.

"Hey," I muttered and she nodded.

"Heading for the Feast?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Isn't it too early?"

"Well, one hour might not be enough to get there. After all, I don't know what part of the forest I'm in."

"Fair enough."

We kept standing where we were, not moving an inch, holding each other's gaze steadily. I was afraid that if I turned around, she would stab me, and I was sure she feared the same.

"Why don't you continue on your way?"

"How about you accompany me?"

She rested her hand on her hip, the other hand holding the sickle lazily, and she seemed to look at me as if contemplating my offer. To my surprise, she nodded.

"Sure, let's go."

 **Farouka Qadri (16) D12F**

I held onto the sickle tightly, moving forward with the different looking girl. I could feel her eyes weighing me and I smirked. Yeah, she was right to be scared.

I could see my father walking beside me, a smirk similar to Eritine's on his face.

"Finish her off, you weakling."

I didn't grace him with a reply, knowing he was either an illusion or I was going crazy, but even when he was a figment of my imagination, he was not worth wasting my words on.

"Come on! Have you changed your mind regarding coming out alive?"

"Shut up," I muttered, and Bina turned around to look at me, eyes alert.

"Is something wrong?" she asked warily.

"Nothing," I smiled, "Can you hear the water flowing?"

And I hadn't said that to distract her, for I could really hear the gurgling of the stream. We were near, we were quite near, and soon it would be time for me to use this beautiful sickle. I chuckled to myself, earning another cautious glance from Bina.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing at all," I smiled, even as my father rolled his eyes, "It's just the horror of our situation."

Her eyes widened at that, and I could tell she was probably wondering why she had asked me to tag along in the first place. She needn't fear though, not until we actually got there at least. I wasn't one to attack for no reason

I wasn't one to attack for any reason, but Eritine's illusion had convinced me that I had been the one to kill her and my father.

And if I'd done it twice, I didn't see why I couldn't do it again.

I hadn't realised when we had reached the periphery of the forest, the greenery of the meadow hitting us hard. I sat down by the stream and smiled at her.

"I think we should replenish ourselves before proceeding."

"That's a good idea."

And so we sat down and drank the warm water, and I hoped it would help me keep down my fear and nervousness enough to function well.

 **Ajax Volt (18) D5M**

It had been a while since the reminder of only one remaining to the Feast was given, yet nobody was here. I was sure that one hour wasn't up, but the excitement and nervousness was getting too much to bear now. My heart was hammering in my chest, my breathing hitched, the sword feeling too heavy in my hands. I was at the entrance of the cave, a bit on the inner side, so that I could see the approaching tributes from here.

My ears perked up when I heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Leaning against the wall, I saw them, the four girls approaching the feast table. The table was laden with loads of food, weapons, bags and other items that any of us could need. I tore my gaze away from the table to the girls; Bina and Farouka were together and Minnie and Venus were coming separately. The two Careers caught each other's eye and looked on awkwardly.

"Hey Minnie," Venus said, "I'm really sorry."

"It's alright."

And I watched as the two smiled at each other, almost in relief. I also noticed Minnie had gotten a weapon since the last time I had seen her. So had she killed?

The feast was yet to start, so I wasn't surprised that Raiza and Arbor weren't here yet. However, looking at the crowd that had assembled, most likely they were going to miss this second bloodbath. For even as I stepped out, raising my hand in greeting to my former allies, Farouka broke away from Bina, almost like she were deranged, her aim clear. Bina called out to her, but it was as if she could neither see nor hear anything, and she was yelling hard, almost as if yelling a war cry.

She had not reached her target yet, but the move had officially marked the beginning of the Feast.

 **Venus Hallow (17) D2F**

I couldn't tell whether Farouka's target was Minnie or I, but she wasn't going to get away on my watch.

"Step aside," I told Minerva.

"Venus, I can deal with this."

"Don't worry, I'll handle her. You go see Bina."

And as Farouka came running at me, I jumped to the side, swerved around and kicked at her ankles, tripping her. As she fell down, I drove my sword into her lower back as swiftly as I could. Her painful cry almost made me leave the sword, even as her cannon rang in the air.

"I'm sorry, rest well," I whispered, before pulling out my sword from her body, the blood covered in her warm red blood, making me sick. I tore my gaze away to see Ajax cut Bina's throat too, and there went down one more.

And to think that the Feast had not even started officially.

The three of us paused, looking at each other, unsure of what to do. We had been allies, and we had been cordial enough too. I was hesitant to kill them both, especially Minnie, and I could tell she felt the same.

"What happened to Welton?" I asked loudly.

"I finished him off," Ajax said, and I could hear his voice constricting, "What about Julian?"

"Something along the same lines," Minnie said, holding her bow tightly.

I stepped away from Farouka's corpse, I couldn't bear being in its presence any longer, and I saw Ajax do the same. Our eyes met for a fraction of a second, and soon our swords clashed.

I roared at the boy from Five as he struck and I parried. I didn't know how he managed to become so good with a sword, for he was doing as well as I was. I kicked him in the gut, but this guy was not affected at all.

"Are you made of steel or something?!" I exclaimed as I dodged another of his attacks.

"The arena makes you that way."

I smirked as we fought, and truth be told, I was enjoying it. I couldn't remember the last time somebody had given me such a tough competition in sword fighting, and if the death factor wasn't involved, I was sure Ajax would have loved it as well.

Right now though, no matter how thrilled I felt, I needed Minnie to finish off Ajax while he was busy with me. But then...

 **Minerva "Minnie" McCarthy (17) D4F**

Most probably Ajax perceived Venus to be a bigger threat, and maybe that's why he was duelling with her. I was completely ignored but that was good for me. I just needed an opening now.

So I knocked my arrow, and took aim. However, the two were moving so fast that I was afraid to shoot. What if I hit Venus instead? They were fencing as if a part of some elegant dance, their movements fast yet graceful, and I wasn't sure of my aim at the moment.

 _Don't worry, you'll hit Ajax. Just shoot now._

After all, following this I had to inspect all the hiding spots here as well for Raiza and Arbor. They had not turned up yet, but that could be because they were already here or that they still had time to get here. Whatever the case, I had to finish them off too.

But right now, the challenge was Ajax, and I waited for them to slow down so that my arrow would find its mark.

 _Shoot now!_

Inhaling sharply, I let the arrow fly.

It seemed to pierce the very air with how slowly it felt to be moving. I watched with bated breath, sure that Ajax would be finished off, even as the arrow flew and lodged itself...

... Into Venus' throat.

"NOOO!" I screamed. How could this happen?! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?! I saw her gasp aloud, even as Ajax started running towards me. I frantically shot arrows at him, but my tears were clouding my vision, and he simply swatted away the arrows with his sword.

"N-no..." I whispered, even as Ajax was on top of me, when he came to a sudden halt.

He looked beyond surprised as he looked down, and I followed his gaze, just to see the tip of a sword sticking from his stomach. He let out a cry, tears staining his handsome face, as he fell down hard. Behind him, I saw Venus pulling out the arrow from her throat, her sword in Ajax's back, and she smiled at me weakly even as she fell, and I heard two cannons explode just like my heart did.

 **Arbor Basswood (17) D7M**

"Are we late?" Raiza asked worriedly.

"No, we aren't."

And I was right. The two of we're late, the others had just been early. Four cannons had already exploded till now, and I knew were in the Final Three. Things would end here for at least one of us, and I couldn't bring myself to think of that yet.

So the two of us watched, from a distance, as Minerva McCarthy held onto the dead body of Venus Hallow and cried, cried for all she was worth. Raiza and I shared a glance; would we weep for each other like that? Minerva's voice had become more like that of an animal's guttural cry than a human voice, and I knew we needed to get away. However, we couldn't. The Gamemakers would finish us off.

I felt Raiza tense beside me anand let out a sigh. Resting my hand in her shoulder, I whispered, "Go and do your thing, Raiza. I'll handle everything."

She looked at me in alarm, eyes betraying the fear she felt.

"What do you mean?" she asked, keeping her voice composed.

"I'm not stupid, girl," I muttered, "Just go."

With that, I gave her a hug and patted her head, before starting my walk towards the Career. I had to face her, otherwise the Gamemakers would finish me off.

I felt Raiza stand still for a moment and then she ran.

Minerva probably heard my approaching footsteps, for she was soon on her feet, her knife drawn out, and I came to a stop.

"Where's the girl going?" she demanded.

"It's none of your business," I retorted, quickly reaching for one of the knives at the table.

"Very well."

And she came running at me, running fast, and I was about to duck, when the loud sound of the Bell ringing brought us both to a halt. The sound, ancient and deep, was so loud that we both reached out for our ears. Turning around, I saw a hovercraft approaching, as Raiza stood there at the altar, holding the Bell, towering over us despite being small.

Well, it was time for me to move.

Even as Matthew started saying that we couldn't fight, I grabbed a bag and ran from the place towards the forest, Minnie standing there helplessly, even as I waved at Raiza in farewell and she waved back.

 **Raiza Relic (12) D11F**

I couldn't believe I was getting out of this hell alive.

Arbor... I really hoped he would win. Even as the hovercraft rose I tried to spot him down in the arena, but he had hidden himself well. I chuckled, remembering how he had caught on that I would be using the Bell. Oh Arbor!

"Are you alright?" one of the Peacekeepers asked. I nodded, not knowing who he was. To think of it, I didn't even know whether I had made the right decision to use the Bell. If the notes had been fake...

But all my suspicions were gone as he took off his mask, smiling kindly, blue eyes twinkling, silver blond hair as perfect as they were in pictures.

"Would you like to eat something?" Regal asked.

For a second I was in too much awe of his appearance that I couldn't respond. Here was the man my parents followed blindly, the man literally all rebels worshipped, the man who had the biggest bounty on his head.

Here was the man who had rescued me.

"Raiza, would you like to eat something?"

"Yes, please."

He nodded at another person who looked like a Peacekeeper, even as a few doctors started circling me to see whether I was okay.

"I can't tell you how proud I am," he said, "Raiza, you're so, so brave."

Despite myself, I was blushing hard now. Being recognised by the boss himself was a big feat, and I admitted that. I nodded, unable to say anything.

"Your parents are safe, I'm sure you're worried about them. They've been shifted to District Thirteen."

"But won't Snow find out?" I asked.

"No," he grinned, "A friend of mine arranged it so that the reports reaching Snow or anyone in Panem would say that your family has been punished. Whereas, in reality, they're completely safe and sound."

"Thank you so much," I smiled, gratitude rushing through my heart, "Thank you!"

"No Raiza, thank _you._ You and your family has been supporting us for so long. I wish I was half as brave as you are when I was your age. I'm so proud of you dear, so very proud."

"Well, your sponsor gifts and notes really helped."

"Ah!" he exclaimed, "Alan had told me that you're really smart and that you'll definitely pick up on the clue really quickly."

"Who's Alan?"

"A comrade and a friend of your parents. You'll meet him soon."

And I smiled broadly at him, even as the hovercraft left the arena far behind. Yet, I was only wishing for one thing.

 _Arbor, you have to win._

 **Hey guys! I'm so excited to present the Feast to you all! I'm sorry the POVs here are really short, but I thought this would work better. Do let me know your thoughts! I'd love to hear them!**

 **Eulogies:**

 **7** **th** **\- Farouka Qadri : Oh Farouka, you were so, so,** _ **so**_ **good! I loved her so much! And I think a lot of you did too! She's honestly such a great character. She was nice but superfluous, dangerous but kind, and we all loved that about her. Rest in peace Farouka, you amazing girl!**

 **6** **th** **\- Bina Bishop: Bina, Bina, Bina, how much we all loved you. Honestly, despite your age, everyone thought of you as a victor. Your relationships with Ridge and Misha were beautiful, and it was a joy writing you. You were an amazing character. Rest in peace.**

 **5** **th** **\- Venus Hallow : So, Venus died two seconds before Ajax, hence she's fifth. Oh dear, Venus, you and I were so similar, it's not even funny. I loved writing her, and I can say she was one of my favourite Careers this time around. Sure, you got overshadowed a lot, but that's because you were super chill. I loved writing you so much! Rest in peace, you will be missed.**

 **4** **th** **\- Ajax Volt : So, Ajax was definitely victor material. He had a great reason to volunteer, a great personality and he was overall an awesome dude. Ajax could have done a lot of great things, but luck wasn't in his favour. You were brilliant Ajax. Rest in peace, you won't be forgotten.**

 **3** **rd** **\- Raiza Relic : RAIZA! So a lot of people had guessed this would happen XD Honestly though, how could it** _ **not**_ **happen? She was integrated into my verse so well, and had such a great personality to actually pull it off! Raiza is certainly one of my favourites, and if it hadn't been for the votes, she could have been the victor too, I'd love it. And we're going to see more of Raiza in the future as well! :D**

 **So guys... We're finally in the Top Two! Shout out to Shiro for guessing the final two right! If I have time, I'll make a gift for you! :D**

 **So we have Arbor Basswood and Minerva McCarthy. Who do you think is going to win?! Let me know your predictions! :D**

 **Death List:**

 **Ridge- committed suicide**

 **Dexter- blew up at the cornucopia**

 **Monroe- killed by Welton**

 **Keegan- killed by Atlas**

 **Aristaeus- killed by Eritine**

 **Malakai- killed by Ajax**

 **Sylo- killed by Atlas**

 **Audrey- killed by Venus**

 **Corinne- killed by Atlas**

 **Rebecca- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Max- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Atlas- killed by Eritine**

 **Misha- killed by Caterpie mutt**

 **Eritine – killed by Farouka**

 **Julian – killed by Minnie**

 **Juova- used the Deserter's Bell; alive**

 **Welton- killed by Ajax**

 **Farouka- killed by Venus**

 **Bina- killed by Ajax**

 **Venus- killed by Minnie**

 **Ajax- killed by Venus**

 **Raiza- used the Deserter's Bell; alive**

 **Have a great day guys!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Night Seven**

 **Arbor Basswood (17) D7M**

She was gone. Just like that, she was gone.

And I was happy for her. She could live, and if I would die, she could convey my message to my family. Maybe she liked me enough to name her son after me, if she would ever have one, although that was too far-fetched. Regardless, I was glad that she was safe.

What angered me though, was the bag that I had managed to get for myself. The Gamemakers were in a playful mood; the bag had been empty save for a bottle of orange juice.

Well, at least there was that. And the knife that I'd picked up. It was much sharper than my older one, and I knew that, if I got a chance, this would turn out to be really deadly.

It was weird to think that I was in the Final Two, that, in fact, I stood a chance to go home. It felt strange, but I couldn't let myself get carried away. Regardless of everything, my final opponent was a Career. The highest scoring Career at that.

I didn't know how long I could hide from her. Just as the thought crossed my mind, I was startled by the sound of loud lightening, and I looked up to see a lightning bolt hit a tree, which caught fire immediately.

"What on earth...!"

Had I known they would start pushing me towards her just as I would think of it, I wouldn't have thought of it at all. I ran as fast as I could, knowing I had to get to the meadow, for I was sure that Minnie wouldn't have left the place where her friend had died.

I kept running and running, panting hard, falling forward, unable to breathe, coughing, coughing and _coughing,_ my throat raspy, the smoke rising with each second. I stumbled to my feet, and picked up pace again, panting hard, the sound of the stream filling me with both dread and relief.

 _Well, good luck, Arbor._

 **Minerva "Minnie" McCarthy (17) D4F**

The hovercrafts had not only cleared the bodies but also all the supplies. Watching them take her away forced tears to trickle down my cheeks again. I had killed her... Venus... I killed both my friends...

And she had saved my life.

My deeds filled me with so much disgust that I had thrown up. My head felt light, dizzy, as if everything was going wrong.

 _When I meet you next time, I'll kill you, Minerva. Till then, consider every breath of yours as a gift from me._

It was ironic how my breaths really _were_ a gift from her. If it wasn't for her, Ajax would have definitely killed me.

And now, here I was, holding my knife, leaning against the altar. I didn't have it in me to touch the bow and arrows again, not those things that killed Venus. And, if I remembered correctly, Arbor also just had a knife. I sighed. Our battle would be fair this way. We had the same weapon, and while I was trained, he was big and smart. We both stood a chance.

I didn't want to kill him, but I would have to. It wouldn't do to be reluctant any more.

I saw the smoke rise from the forest and frowned. So, that's how they were going to usher him to me? I kind of wished he would die in the fire itself, so that I didn't have to kill him myself. But I knew fate wouldn't be so kind to either of us, and I soon saw him emerge, panting, exhausted from the running, tired.

He looked at me with tired eyes and I shrugged.

"You can have some water and relax, if you want. We have time," I said, walking amicably toward a him. He held up his knife, but I pocketed mine and stopped. I knew he wanted to take me out, but he was so out of breath that he couldn't really do that. So he sat down by the stream and started drinking lustily, eyes not leaving me.

"Why did you kill her?" he asked softly.

"It was an accident. I missed."

He nodded, not bothering to get up.

"And what was with the little girl?"

"What about her?"

"How did you two become allies?"

It had been surprising for me to see them turn up together earlier. Neither of them looked like people who would ally.

"Well, I caught on that she's smart. And I needed somebody intelligent around to keep myself sane."

"Fair enough."

"Did you really volunteer for glory?"

"Yes," I said confidently, "Although I did so for my sister too. I want to be able to pay for her re-assignment surgery."

He looked at me incredulously, his eyes screaming, "Did you have no other option to make money?!" and I honestly wondered the same a lot these days. He didn't voice out anything though, and I figured that was because he didn't want me to get in trouble. It was too noble, and maybe I was thinking too much into it, but he was that kind of a person.

"Anything you're passionate about?"

"Well," he said, "I wish to do a lot for cancer patients and terminally ill people, and the first stage would be to raise awareness."

"That's a noble cause."

"Thanks. Means a lot."

We remained quiet for a while as he relaxed himself, before speaking.

"Hey let's have a deal."

"A deal?" I asked, surprised.

"Yep. If I win, I'll make sure your sister's surgery is done. If you win, promise me to use your Victor's status to raise awareness about cancer and other such diseases. You'll be able to do a lot for many people."

I smiled at him and we shook hands, his grip was firm.

"Deal, Arbor."

And with that, he got up, knife ready. Break time was over.

 **Arbor Basswood (17) D7M**

We weren't even five minutes into the battle, and I was already sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. She's kicked me really hard _there,_ and that had been enough to shoot agony through my body.

"That's not fair..." I cried.

"The Games aren't fair Arbor."

And as her leg came crashing down, I rolled over just in time, and her feet connected with the ground _hard,_ sending a chill through my spine. I forced myself to stand up, swaying on my feet, as she jump spin crescent kicked me on the jaw, throwing me off my feet. Blood poured out of my mouth, and I held my jaw in pain.

"I'm sorry Arbor," she said sadly, and came running at me. However, I knew it was another jump kick, and so I tossed myself to the side, and she missed. I slashed my knife at her, and she cried out as I left a gash on her arm.

"Dammit!"

She threw a punch at me, but I ducked and rolled forward towards her legs, colliding into them so that she would fall. It worked, and I hastily brought down my knife, but she caught my wrist in her iron grip, her eyes more fiery than the burning forest, and she kicked me hard on the chest, throwing me away again.

I groaned on the ground as she glowered. "Get up," she said, taking up her position to fight again. I couldn't believe that the gash hadn't caused her any pain at all; it was deep and still bleeding. Maybe it was due to the years of Career training.

Very well, maybe I'd have to get closer to stab her after all.

So I stood up, holding my knife in one hand, curling my other hand into a fist. She poised herself for an attack, and it was then we both knew we couldn't trick the other.

Clutching our knives hard, we let out a cry, and ran at each other. We weren't far away and yet it felt as if we'd covered a lot of distance. As we neared, we both struck, and then continued running past each other.

I stopped some seven or eight steps later, dropping the blood stained knife, smirking. Behind me, I could feel Minnie stopping too.

And as I turned around, I saw her crying, crying hard, trembling violently, and I laughed out, loud and almost hysterical. I couldn't believe this was happening. I just couldn't.

Laughing, I moved towards her even as she fell on her knees, sobbing. I knelt down in front of her too, and cupped her face in my hands, smiling genuinely at her, before gently wrapping my arms around her, her sobs echoing in my ears, my laughter resonating in her hers.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I'm pleased to announce that the victor of the Seventy Third Annual Hunger Games is-"

And I pulled out the knife from my chest, Minnie's knife, coloured on my blood.

"-MINERVA MCCARTHY!"

And at that, just as her arms tightened around me, my laughter died.

 **Here it is guys, here it is.**

 **We finally have the victor of the Seventy Third Hunger Games! :D I really hope you guys liked the finale, even though it was short and uneventful. And I hope you like the victor too.**

 **Eulogies:**

 **2** **nd** **\- Arbor Basswood: So somebody had asked me who's my absolute favourite in this story. Well, it has** _ **always**_ **been Arbor. He was brilliant in every way, very unique, very interesting. Heck, his mere presence was interesting and entertaining. Arbor was a brilliant character, and if this was a standalone story, he would have won since both he and Minnie had tied in the first place, but I didn't see him fitting into the plot. Arbor had every trait I admire, especially his wits, and I'm sad he had to go. Rest in peace dear, you'll be missed.**

 **1** **st** **\- Minerva McCarthy : Minnie, Minnie, Minnie :D I found Minnie to be a victor material from the day I got her form. She's fashionable, she's deadly, she's nice but she's insecure too. Her form was one of the most detailed, and I loved her personality. Minnie changed my perspective towards fashionable people to be honest. And she's a brilliant character too! I'm happy she got the most votes, for she deserves the victory. Congratulations Celtic and Minnie! You guys have earned it.**

 **So guys, here we end the Games for Mirage! The story is far from over, although I understand that, since the Games, you may not want to stick around. However, it will mean a lot if you do.**

 **Also, what was your favourite moment in the Games? Your favourite character? Are you surprised by the victor? And did I write your character decently enough? Let me know in a review!**

 **And finally...**

 **Death List:**

 **Ridge- committed suicide**

 **Dexter- blew up at the cornucopia**

 **Monroe- killed by Welton**

 **Keegan- killed by Atlas**

 **Aristaeus- killed by Eritine**

 **Malakai- killed by Ajax**

 **Sylo- killed by Atlas**

 **Audrey- killed by Venus**

 **Corinne- killed by Atlas**

 **Rebecca- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Max- killed by Rock mutt**

 **Atlas- killed by Eritine**

 **Misha- killed by Caterpie mutt**

 **Eritine – killed by Farouka**

 **Julian – killed by Minnie**

 **Juova- used the Deserter's Bell; alive**

 **Welton- killed by Ajax**

 **Farouka- killed by Venus**

 **Bina- killed by Ajax**

 **Venus- killed by Minnie**

 **Ajax- killed by Venus**

 **Raiza- used the Deserter's Bell; alive**

 **Arbor-killed by Minnie**

 **Have a great day guys!**


	37. Chapter 37

She stared at his lifeless body, the smirk still in place. somebody had shut his eyes, so he looked as if he was sleeping, probably dreaming.

Arbor's body would be handed to his family the next day. Raiza knew she didn't have much time, and the officers were quite reluctant to let her in at all, but here she was, sitting on the stool next to his corpse. She didn't quite know what to do, for she expected him to get up any moment and smirk like he always did. She just stared, for what she felt at the moment was something that she hadn't truly felt before.

Raiza's eyes were stinging, and she wondered why they burned so hard. Somebody had cleaned Arbor's wounds, and Raiza bit her lip. How perfectly they had created an illusion that he was okay! She wanted to believe it, and yet she felt a sort of numbness in her heart.

She looked down at his hand, and gingerly reached out for it. immediately, she pulled back on contact, for she never touched something so cold or stiff before. And before she knew what was happening, tears were gushing down her face, and despite herself she was wailing, and she threw herself on his corpse, her tears falling on his chest. This behaviour was very unlike Raiza, and somewhere she knew she must compose herself, but she was unable to. Arbor had truly been her only friend ever, and he was dead, lying lifeless with that stupid smirk still on his face.

She wailed and wailed, even as some people dragged her away. She protested for she did not want them to touch her, or to leave her friend's side, but ultimately, she was small, and they simply carried her away, out of the room, and shut the door even as she took a last look at his corpse.

* * *

She did not want to open her eyes.

Her body still ached. She was vaguely aware that she was in a comfortable bed, and that someone was holding her hand tightly, and she was grateful to them for being present for she felt extremely disoriented.

The last few moments before losing consciousness played in her mind. Arbor had hugged her really tightly as he breathed his last, and Minerva remembered she was crying like a mess. The next moments were quite blurred, for she couldn't recollect everything properly. There had been a hovercraft, two hovercrafts. One carried his corpse away, and she was being loaded onto another. She thought she saw Haley and Sage, who both looked worried and proud and happy and upset at the same time. And then she had protested when one of the medics wanted to inject her with anaesthesia. However, when Sage told her to let him do it, Minnie obeyed him, albeit a little grudgingly.

And now, here she was. The place smelled like a hospital, and she briefly wondered who was holding her hand. She didn't want to see though, for her heart still felt as if it were made of lead. The pain of killing her friends was still there, and she was aware that it would stay there forever. She wanted nothing more than to meet her family, hug Michelle tightly to her chest, and always just stay with them. But she was afraid to open her eyes, for she did not have the strength to face whatever lay in store for her.

The person holding her hand squeezed it gently, and quite involuntarily, her eyes fluttered open. The blinding light hit her hard, forcing her to shut her eyes tightly for a second. Counting to five and hoping her eyes would adjust, she opened them slowly only to see her mentor Sagittarius Ryans holding her hand. He looked relieved to see that she was conscious again, and smiled lightly.

"How're you feeling?"

Minerva actually did not know how she felt; she hadn't had time to process anything much yet. So she said what made the most sense to her.

"I've been better."

The two remained silent for a while, and Minnie was glad that there was nobody else around her. She noticed she was in a blue hospital gown, and they had cleaned her completely. The two still held hands even as she stared at the ceiling, trying to think but unable to form proper concrete thoughts.

"I'm-I'm very proud of you," Sae whispered, making her turn her head towards him, "You were brilliant there. You were amazing and your conduct was commendable. I'm proud of you for winning this, and I'm proud of your strength to fight through all the odds."

And something seemed to snap inside her, for Minerva laughed bitterly, her voice high and pained.

"I was a Career Sage! I've basically trained for this my entire life! Worked every second of my life to become a bloody murderer! And look, look Sage! I've succeeded!"

And she kept on laughing, tears streaming down her eyes, her high-pitched voice breaking in between, but no enough to stop her self-loathing chuckles. She didn't even realise when she sat up, but now she was fully facing her mentor, grinning in an almost maniacal manner.

"I've become what my parents wanted me to be! I've become what Four wanted me to be! I've become what the entire country wanted me to be! Hell, I've become what _I_ wanted to be! A murderer, Sage, a murderer! Of course you're proud of me! I'm *** proud of myself! I've three people's blood on my hands, and that's something that every human should aspire to achieve! I killed my way to the top Sage! I became the victor!"

And now her laughter had turned even higher, hysterical, as her eyes turned red with tears, and now she didn't know whether she was crying or laughing; all she was aware of was that Sagittarius had wrapped his strong arms around her tightly, and that her tears were falling on his shoulder, and that he was gently stroking her hair.

"We'll get through this together, Minnie," he whispered, "Stay strong. Stay strong."

And Minerva had no idea how she was supposed to manage that. She was tough, but no amount of training had prepared her for this, especially killing two of her _friends_ , not mere allies. Sage's embrace reminded her of Arbor's as he had held her in his last moments, and she recoiled at that. Sagittarius thankfully got it, and pulled back too, looking down, averting his eyes.

"Thanks Sage," Minnie said, composing herself with much difficulty. She knew it would not do to behave the way she did a few minutes ago, screaming out her emotions. She had to keep up the pretence of happiness, probably for the rest of her life. That mere thought felt like a knife going through her heart, and she had enough experiences with knives to know, and so she shook her head rather vigorously.

"When- when will I be allowed to go home?"

"Your family will be here in a couple of days."

She exhaled slowly. A couple of days was hard, but maybe she would manage.

"By the way, Sage," she said, looking at her mentor in the eye, "Thank you so much. I was sure nobody would sponsor me, but you still arranged it for me. Means a lot."

He smiled sadly at her and nodded. And she was grateful to him for helping out. She recalled how upset she had been to find out that she was allotted an inexperienced mentor. Well, it looked as if it didn't matter much after all.

"Haley would like to meet you too. She'd been waiting outside the whole day. Should I send her in?"

Minnie kept silent for a second. She didn't know whether she wanted to be left alone or have someone by her at the moment. Well, if her other mentor had indeed been waiting for her the whole day, it would be rude and inconsiderate to not meet her. And perhaps, Minnie _could_ do with some friendly presence.

"Sure," she smiled, "Invite her in too."

 **So, I know this is super late, but here it is! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, even though it was short, but I hope you enjoyed it too! We'll continue with the rest of the story from the next chapter, and I hope you guys stick around as it will mean a lot to me, but I understand if you don't. Do let me know your thoughts on this chapter!**

 **Have a great day!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Nikona Linwood (17) Escapee of the 72** **nd** **Games**

When Anya had escorted us out of our previous bunker, I had hoped that we would be escaping to somewhere that at least allowed us to move freely, and not this stupid tiny room. This bunker was worse than the previous one, because that at least had a TV and comfortable beds and sofas and was spacious enough to be home. This one was just useless in every way. There was no TV, no way of knowing any news, no contact from anyone, the mattresses thin and worn out, with only two beds. All of us had to take turns with the beds and the floor and the sofa. Then there was the food, all of it canned, and there was enough there that if we ate conservatively, it could last us at least a month more.

I was so done with this.

And it seemed the Chevalier twins were too. Conjoined at the neck, they were having some serious issues coping up with the lack of space, and there was nobody they could communicate to.

Life had, in simple words, become hell.

"Good morning boys!" Ryder said, cheerfulness as fake as our sense of safety. I glared at him. How did he know that it was morning? And what on earth was good about it?

I didn't grace him with a reply, for I was done with him too. He always pretended to be okay with what was going on, with being in the dark. He always took the floor while sleeping, ate the least and didn't complain at all. It was annoying, unrealistic, and I wanted to punch him in the face.

But I ignored him, sitting back on the sagging sofa, beside the twins.

All my life I had been thinking that I was destined to die in the Games, because all my siblings were Reaped and all of them died. Certainly, when I survived that, I was beyond astounded. Now I'd been locked up in a room for over four months, and I felt suffocated. I was left with my thoughts alone, and those thoughts weren't good.

Maybe I wasn't destined to die in the Games, maybe I and my future children were destined to rot in a small room. The thought was so daunting that I let my face fall in my hands, even as the tears welled up. Had my fate taken a turn just so that this could happen? Since I didn't have any siblings alive, would my children suffer the way I was? Would I even be lucky to get out of here and have children? I didn't know, but passing on my fate to my future generations was terrifying, and I just wanted to run away from here, far, far away.

"Why isn't anyone bothering to visit us?" Roslin growled angrily, "It feels like being buried alive!"

"I don't think anyone cares about us," Raylic answered, his voice disheartened, "I think they've just forgotten."

"Why haven't we been given sanctuary in District Thirteen?!" I exclaimed, punching the already worn out table.

"Maybe they plan to kill us with boredom," Roslin muttered, stretching his legs out in front of him. His eyes looked lost, and beside him, Raylic appeared just as upset.

"Guys, I understand it's frustrating," Ryder began, "But we need to stay hidden in order to stay alive!"

"Shut up!" I found myself yelling, "SHUT UP!"

I did not know why, but the fact that he obeyed me made even angrier than I had been in all these four months, and I jumped to my feet, my hand on his shirts collar, and he shamelessly didn't even try to fight me. Before I could actually punch him, the twins pried me off of him.

"Calm down Nikona," Raylic groaned, "We're all frustrated."

"And I don't know just how to tackle that."

We all turned to look at Roslin, whose face was unreadable. I wondered whether Raylic knew what was on his mind, as they shared the same body from the neck down, but their brains were different so I didn't think he would. The twins walked over to the door, a small key resting on the wall beside it.

"We can always walk out."

"We will _not_ do that!" Ryder retaliated firmly, and was beside the twins in a second.

"Why not?!" I snapped.

"Because Anya gave us this key only for emergencies. There's none as of yet. We can get killed-"

"ANYA HASN'T SHOWED UP!" Roslin shouted, "AND I'M NOT ROTTING HERE FOR AN ETERNITY!"

"Calm down Ross-" Raylic started, but one glare from his twin shut him up.

"I understand how you feel!" Ryder answered heatedly, "But I won't let you go out and get yourselves killed!"

"Watch me!"

And even as the twins reached out for the key, Ryder snatched it from the wall, and soon the twins had wrestled him to the ground. Then Ryder was on top of them, all three of them cursing and shouting, and the key was tossed away. I reached out and picked it up, and while they fought, I unlocked the door and stepped out.

They probably understood what had happened, for the Chevalier twins pushed Ryder hard and joined me outside in a tunnel. It was long and deserted, and I remembered Anya had warned us that there were no guards outside because that would look suspicious. The door that we had opened itself looked nothing more than a part of the rock, integrating so perfectly that nobody could tell that it was a door. Ryder stayed in the doorway, whispering at us to get back in, but it was too late.

The twins and I started walking, and I felt giddy with excitement. I felt free for the first time in four months for I was walking properly after so long. My legs had been yearning for this, and as we walked, I realised how stiff my body had been in that bunker, and how out of shape I was. I was so out of practice of proper walking that it felt quite strange, and I was afraid I might fall down.

"Come back!" Ryder said softly, and I looked back at him. He looked as if he was pleading and I heard Roslin scoff.

"He worries too much."

Hence I was surprised that Ryder started walking towards us too, and as we continued, lingered approximately five steps behind us. I didn't know why he was doing so, but I didn't say anything. It was more important to just get away from this place.

There was another door at the end of the tunnel, and I remembered that the outer one looked like a piece of rock too. I recalled Anya telling us that sometimes Capitolites did visit the area outside the tunnel but they'd been unsuccessful in finding out about the bunker.

There was a password for going outside and I remembered it clearly. She had told us not to use it in any situation, unless it was an emergency and we had to run for our lives. I considered being trapped in a hell hole for months an emergency, and I reached out to type the password on the small screen.

"Don't do this," Ryder said, and this time he really was pleading, "Please don't do this. It will blow our cover. We're not supposed to be alive guys. We'll be killed. Please!"

We stared at him for a second, and he probably thought we'd give in, but then Roslin started typing the password, a mad gleam in his eyes. I turned away from Ryder; he always stood by whatever Anya said, even if that was turning us into caged animals.

The rock slid aside rather slowly, but when it did, I realised we should have had listened to Ryder after all.

The cave, or whatever it was outside, was full of Peacekeepers wandering. None of them had spotted us and Ryder tried to pull us back in so that he could close the door. He was especially concerned about the twins, for they had stepped out by three steps, and stood rooted there.

"Hey! Madam Verity was right! These are the escapees!"

As soon as I heard the Peacekeeper shout, I knew it was over. We'd been seen. The door was a door and not a rock had been seen too. I heard a gunshot, and there was a loud cry, and there was another shot, and the twins were lying on the ground, dead, dead...

Somebody yanked me back as shots were fired at me, and the rock-door slid back in place. How long would it hold up?

"Come on Nikona!"

Ryder dragged me along, forcing me to run back into the bunker, and locked the door. I didn't know what to do, or how to do it. I was numb, completely numb. I had stayed with the twins for around nine months... And they were gone... Just gone. Forever.

I was aware that I was crying, but I knew that I was silent too. Ryder held me tightly, his own eyes swollen due to the tears he was holding back. We had lost our friends, and if things continued the way they did, we'd lose each other too. We'd lose our life, because _I_ had been stupid! I was certain the Peacekeepers would be on us at any moment, and kill us, or make an example of us and execute us publicly.

Therefore, I was shocked when hours passed, but I didn't hear anything from outside. It was as if the Peacekeepers hadn't chased after us at all, that they hadn't even tried. And that was scaring me.

After so many hours post the twins' deaths, I couldn't help but let a single sob escape my lips.

 **Nerissa Verity (47) Vice President of Panem**

"My men have found them, Coriolanus. They've been hiding in the Capitol, amongst us. The Peacekeepers gunned down the Chevalier twins, and they confirmed that they've seen Ryder Venison and Nikona Linwood. Alive."

Snow continued staring at his desk, and I did not blame him. It must be heart breaking for him to find out that his beloved Matthew Hayes had betrayed him, that he had abused his post as the Head Gamemaker to get tributes out. I wanted to chuckle at that. Snow had trusted Hayes blindly, never forced him into anything he didn't want, kept a respectful physical distance too despite lusting for him. He was not wrong there, I myself found the young man really attractive, and had asked him so many times to marry me but he always brushed it off. Well, what did he think? That I would take no for an answer? Now he would be punished, and I couldn't wait to see Snow destroy him.

But personal vendetta did not have a place when I had the Capitol to look out for. I had ordered my Peacekeepers to not hunt for the remaining escapees any more. No... Those two boys could make themselves useful by drawing out the rebels who would definitely come out to help them. And that was when I would seize my chance to get them.

"Call for Hayes," Snow said, his voice low and dangerous, "I need to talk to him."

"Don't make haste, Coriolanus," I interjected, and since he was a smart man, he understood what I meant. If Matthew was indeed a rebel, he would communicate everything to his boss, including that his cover had been blown. Now Snow, being the intelligent man he was, could certainly figure out a way to use Matthew to get information on the rebels instead.

His gaze met mine for a second, and he nodded.

"Keep an eye on the escapees."

"Oh don't worry Coriolanus, the rats will come out of their holes to save those kids. And we'll find out who's been managing all this."

To that, I took a sip of wine and smiled. It was indeed a good day.

 **Hi! So here's the next update, and things are heating up. Let me know your thoughts on this chapter! I'm upset about Roslin and Raylic dying. When I had received them in Dawn of Light, I'd loved them. I still loved them, but it just felt more fitting for them to go instead of Ryder or Nikona. Rest in peace, my lovely twins. :(**

 **Have a great day!**


	39. Chapter 39

"NOOO!"

Anya had been crying ever since she got the news of the twins' deaths. They were her friends. She had done so much to keep them alive, and they were—they were _dead._ She buried her face in Charles' neck, tears clouding her vision. He felt uncomfortable, for nobody had ever cried on his shoulder, and while the incident was unfortunate, he didn't quite feel as sad as the others did. He tried to, and he knew that he was a little upset, which was already an improvement from his usual emotional range.

The discovery of the escapees was an emergency, and Regal had immediately called for a video conference. This was the first time he was directly interacted with the rebels ever since he had escaped Nerissa's clutches four months ago, but sadly, it couldn't be about pleasantries.

He himself was in the Capitol, so were most of the others. Cress and Alan were in the Capitol while Ruby was in District Five. Matthew was obviously not there, for only Regal, Cress and Alan knew about him. Raiza had wanted to come but Regal didn't want to put the child in any further danger, so he promised her he would have her in another meeting. She wasn't convinced, but didn't press the issue.

"Our friends have passed away," Regal said, "And we can't let Ryder and Nikona suffer the same fate."

"I'll go and get them out," Anya said immediately, her eyes puffy and red, the tears still hadn't dried.

"I'll go too," Sage piped in. The escapees were from his Games, and they'd all grown close to each other. Naturally he wanted to help out.

"You both are being fools," Charles muttered, earning a glare from most of the other victors. Regal, however, nodded.

"He's correct. Any rash decision will expose us. Snow doesn't suspect you Anya, nor you Sage. It will not be wise for you to go."

"So what, we'll let them hunt those two down?!" Anya cried out.

"Exactly Regal, we need to do something!" Sasha exclaimed, probably acknowledging Anya after months.

"And we will," Regal replied firmly, "But it won't be anyone who's not suspected."

"How about we get them out?" Alan said, and Cress nodded. Regal shook his head.

"You guys should stay put. I'll go," the leader said, his voice firm.

"That's a terrible idea!" Ruby remarked, "You are our leader! You always throw yourself into tasks that others can handle, putting yourself in danger. Don't you see how important you are?!"

To that, Regal laughed mirthlessly. It was kind of his friends to care, but did they really think that he would endanger their lives when he could get things done? They were human, he was not. Their lives mattered more, and yet they failed to see that.

"I'm flattered Ruby, I really am. But the Capitol already knows about me. They will not expect me to show up. I can get the boys out."

" _I'll_ go."

An eerie silence fell upon everyone as another person appeared on Cress and Alan's screen. Her platinum hair tied in a bun, her face unreadable, Opal Platinum shoved Cress aside and sat down between him and Alan. Most of the victors didn't know about the victor of the Fifty Fourth Games, who died in action during the thirteen years ago, the first clone that Ruby made. Opal was Ruby's elder sister, an excellent scientist and even stronger fighter. She stayed in District Thirteen, and mostly worked with Coin.

"Opal?" Anya whispered, looking at the infamous scientist for the first time.

"That's right."

"They don't know you're alive," Ruby scoffed, "Stop with your theatrics."

"There are no theatrics, dear sister. You may have become successful as a scientist and an engineer, but there are lots of things you don't understand, foolish girl."

"Stop messing around Opal. I think you're forgetting that _I_ made _you,_ quite literally."

"Girls, stop!" Regal called out, and to his relief the sisters became silent, "Opal, I assume you have your own reasons to help?"

"Obviously. I want to test my new weapons, and who better than some Peacekeepers?"

Regal sighed, he knew his friend meant well, usually at least, but he also knew how dramatic she was. Currently, her presence was intimidating both Cress and Alan, for they had shifted away from her. However, Regal knew that she could, indeed, pull it off. She was presumed dead too, and it would probably be shocking enough for Snow and Nerissa to know that she was alive too. He wasn't much worried about Opal's safety, the clones were much stronger than ordinary humans and Opal was strong even when she was alive, not to say extremely crafty. And so nodded.

"I'll send you a team-"

"I don't need a team."

"Opal, I can't let you go alone!"

"I'll manage Regal, trust me."

Their eyes met through the screen, and Regal saw nothing but his old competent friend, and he nodded.

"Opal I think we should come with you," Alan interjected.

"But I don't think so."

With that, she got to her feet and faced the others, locking eyes with her sister.

"They expect us to act immediately. The escapees got exposed today, and they expect us to get them out today. Hence, I'll go get them after three days."

"Three days?!" Anya exclaimed, "They'll be dead by then!"

"They won't," Opal replied, "As per the reports that we've got in Thirteen, they're not going to attack the Escapees for at least a week in the hopes that we show up."

"So what point does it make to wait for three days to get them out?" Cress asked.

"She's going to bring them to a half-alert mode," Ruby spat, "So that she can get the kids out and test the weapons."

"Bingo, sister!"

"No harm should come on the kids," Ruby growled, "I'm not having them die because of your fun!"

"Duly noted."

And with that, Opal walked away, leaving everyone in disbelief at this attitude. Charles laughed out, and everyone glared at him.

"She said she'll handle everything," he grinned, brown eyes cold, and Sasha wondered whether acting like a psychopath was gradually turning him into one.

Regal, however, dismissed the meeting quite abruptly. There was some surprise at that, but he disconnected before anyone could say anything. Frowning, he wondered about Opal. There was something she had not told them, something crucial.

Three days...

Of course! Three days later would be an All-Victors' party, a party where the Capitol would 'unofficially welcome Minerva' to the victors pool. Nerissa and Matthew and Snow would all be busy, and the security there would be really tight, leaving an opening for her to rescue the boys.

He chuckled to himself; it was so typical of his friend to purposefully annoy others and not disclose all the details. Well, he wasn't too worried now. If there was someone who could pull off this rescue mission solo, it was Opal Platinum.

 _Evening after three days, two hours before the victors party_

"You're telling me this _now?!_ "

Matthew could not believe his friend. He casually walked into his house, past all the security, and broke the news to him that the escapees had not only been seen, but two of them were gone. Matthew froze on hearing his words, his heart sinking in. Initially, he was sad about this demise, and his eyes turned bleak. And then the gravity of the situation dawned on him.

He sank into the couch, eyes wide, staring at his friend who looked just as tensed as he felt.

"I couldn't contact you," Regal said apologetically, "I did not want to show up at your place, because I knew you wouldn't like it, but there was no other option."

"It's been three days," Matthew whispered, "She's going to kill me. She's going to kill me. She's going to kill me. She's-"

"Matt-"

"You don't get it," he cut him off, voice barely audible, tears falling down in face, "You don't understand. Nobody understands. She-She-"

Regal quickly wrapped his strong arms around his friend, who he noticed was trembling with fear. He was aware that Nerissa was heartless, and he also knew how obsessed she was with the Head Gamemaker, especially since he rejected her marriage proposals. But he needn't worry, Regal would make sure no harm would come on him.

Their young friend, the third person in the room, looked on awkwardly. Raiza had requested Regal to let her tag along, and while he had been adamant about not taking her along as it was dangerous, she kept on insisting. He finally agreed to let her come if she put on a disguise, and she was appalled that she had agreed to put on a bubble-gum pink wig and amethyst lenses, while Regal put on an electric blue wig and black lenses.

Raiza just sat there, looking as the leader held on to his friend tightly, even as his breathing hitched. Raiza had been shocked when she'd found out Matthew was on their side, and she was even more astounded at the fact that he was crying like a child.

"She knows about me, doesn't she?" he whispered, "She knows I'm working with you."

"I'm afraid that since our friends were discovered, she has enough proof to know it."

"She- I don't want to die."

Regal looked into the fearful wild eyes of his friend, looking up at him as if he could do something, something that would save his life. Regal didn't have any idea about what he could do, but he knew he wasn't going to let his friend die, even if he had to give up his own life. After all, Matthew was human, and his life mattered more.

"May I give a suggestion?" Raiza asked, and both the men jumped at her voice. They had probably forgotten that she was there, or the fact that someone could speak so calmly in this situation surprised them.

Seeing that Matthew was probably not going to say anything, Regal smiled at her and nodded at her to go ahead.

"Well, considering that she knows about you, how about you prove her wrong?"

"I don't know how to do that child," Matthew whispered.

"Well, if an attempt on _your_ life is made, say, at a high profile gathering, and let's say Regal is behind it..."

The two men stared at her, and Raiza wondered whether they understood what she was implying. However, both of their mouths curled up into a smile and Matthew quickly wiped away his tears.

"So, the rebels just need to kill him. In front of Nerissa and Snow?" Regal grinned.

"That's right."

"Perfect!" Matthew exclaimed, "You are a freaking genius, kid! Now we just have to plan my death, and I have the perfect idea for it!"

"You really are very clever, Raiza," Regal smiled, "I'm so proud of you. And I'm so happy that you're on our side."

"Yeah!"

"And Matt, don't worry, I'll arrange for everything. Just tell me how you want to do it."

And Matthew Hayes smiled wickedly, for this was his opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. He motioned at them to come closer, and as he elaborated on his instantly thought out plan, Raiza realised why he had been the Head Gamemaker since such a young age. The man had the brain of the Devil, and she was awed at how flawlessly he had planned everything despite it being on a whim.

"Alright Matty, we'll do it as you want. You are going to die tonight."

 **Hi! Haha, these updates are coming quite fast now. XD I just want to finish MoL within one year span, so. Anyway, things are heating up. Do you think Opal will be able to rescue Ryder and Nikona? And what do you think Matthew is about to do? We'll see next chapter and we'll hear from Minnie then too. I think there are two or three chapters more for this and then this story will be over. :D**

 **Have a great day!**


	40. Chapter 40

Minerva was feeling ill.

No, not physically. She was just tired of everything, everything that was happening. Her family had arrived in the Capitol, and yet she had been only allowed to meet them once, that too for a mere thirty minutes. The Capitolites had told her that she could go with them after a few ceremonies and formalities, and it took all of Minnie's willpower to not punch them in the face.

Right now, she was staring at herself in the mirror, and she loathed the fact that she looked absolutely gorgeous. This party was the celebration of her coming out as a murderer and she herself looked no less than a celebrity herself, her long tresses falling down in waves, the turquoise dress studded with the actual gem sweeping the floor, and the makeup regal enough to make her look like a queen.

How pretentious.

She was waiting for her escort to take her down to the banquet hall, and she couldn't decide whether she was nervous about meeting so many influential people or just furious that she couldn't go and take them out as well. Her blood was boiling with rage, rage at the Capitolites, the trainers at the Academy, her District, her family, and most importantly at herself. How did she let herself fall in this trap? How did she end up believing there was glory in death?

Hence, she didn't even notice at first that her door had opened just a little bit, and two boys of around the same age had walked in. Minnie saw them in the mirror, and surprised, she turned around to face Sage and Charles, eyeing the latter cautiously as he gave her an easy smile.

"Uh…" Sage started, not really knowing how to put his words forward, and the look Minnie gave Chip startled him as well.

"What's he doing here?" she asked, looking at the victor from Six.

"Relax, I come in peace."

"Yeah!" Sage said immediately and then blushed furiously, embarrassed. Minerva couldn't put a finger on this weird behaviour, and the fact that her mentor was hanging out with a psychopath was already frightening her. She reached out for a vase, just in case Charles attacked, but the action only made him laugh.

"I told you Minerva, I come in peace."

"What's the matter, Sage?" she asked, gripping the vase tightly, eyes not leaving the childish psychopath. Sagittarius cleared his throat, probably still wondering how to go about it and then sighed.

"Look Minnie," he started, "I know I shouldn't be asking you this, and I'm being really selfish but I need you to do this. I need your help. Please, please don't say no."

"Don't say no to what?" Minerva asked, feeling tired by this behaviour. All she wanted right now was to snuggle in her bed and go to sleep and hope she was out of the Capitol when she woke up.

"I-"

"We request you to give me a makeover," Chip said, smiling, and Minnie raised her brows at her mentor.

"Really? That's it?"

"Well…"

And when Sage started telling her _exactly_ what he wanted, Minnie couldn't help but feel excited and scared at the same time. She was horrified, and disapproved of the idea, and when Sage was finished speaking, she folded her arms across her chest, glaring at both the boys.

"That's so stupid," she said.

"I know. I understand if you don't-"

"I'll do it."

"What?"

"I'll do it. Charles, stay behind. Sage, keep watch at the door."

And she still didn't know why she agreed to this foolhardy plan, but she didn't regret it.

And it was good to not regret something after so long.

* * *

When Minerva reached the party hall, everyone stopped whatever they were doing to turn to look at her.

She was beautiful in every way, and the way she smiled melted everyone's heart. She also didn't seem to mind when people shook her hands for a second too long, or when they blatantly stared at her. She kept her head high, and smiled brightly, thanking all those powerful people. she smiled and applauded when Nerissa gave her speech congratulating her, and the smile remained when the Vice President gave her a hug.

"You were really good in there," she said, smiling at the young girl, "I'm proud to have a consecutive victor from Four. Your District is one of those that tries its best to keep our country's culture and tradition alive."

"Thank you, ma'am, it's all your grace."

"Yes, you were brilliant," Matthew smiled at her, shaking her hand quickly, and Minerva smiled back at him, her face radiant.

Madam Verity talked to her for a bit, and apologised for Coriolanus' Snow's absence, telling her he couldn't be there as he was caught up in something. Matthew paled at that for just a second, but then smiled apologetically, before being pulled away by the Vice President.

"I didn't know President Snow couldn't make it here," the Head Gamemaker muttered, more to himself than her, and she nodded.

"He's really busy," she replied curtly, and signalled at one of the waitresses to bring the champagne.

She was a pretty girl, that waitress, with beautiful long golden curls, her eyes really green, and a pretty smile on her porcelain face. She was so pretty that for a second Matthew couldn't help but stare, but he quickly averted his eyes back towards the Vice President, an ardent alcoholic. So while he sipped his wine, thinking that the girl looked vaguely familiar, Madam Verity kept downing glass after glass of her champagne.

"So, what have you decided about District Seven?" Nerissa asked, drinking from the fourth glass.

District Seven was a problem for them. The victors from Seven were hell-bent on not mentoring, and for the past few years, trainers from the Capitol had been mentoring them though. From next year, however, Snow wanted a proper victor to mentor them, regardless of what District they were from.

"How about we send Minerva and Charles to mentor District Seven? And Sage to District Eight?"

"We could do that," Nerissa said, and downed her fifth glass, making Matthew smile. He was glad she liked the champagne; he had had it imported just for her, or he knew how addicted she was to it. She honestly drank alcohol as if it were water. He himself was still on his first glass of wine, sipping it slowly, carefully.

The waitress was back again with more glasses of champagne, smiling brightly, and left the two to their discussion.

Minerva, on the other hand, was surrounded by other victors. She had just had a long session of personally thanking all her sponsors, and she was feeling tired, but she kept up her smile, just like the waitress serving Nerissa and Matthew.

"Feeling nervous?" Aya asked kindly, and Minnie nodded just a bit. She was nervous, and furious but didn't say anything on that.

"Well, I guess you can meet your family after the party," Sasha muttered, "You were quite awesome there, Minerva."

She noticed that he sounded sad, and she knew why. Ajax had made it really far, and maybe Sasha was hoping that he would win, maybe he would open that Academy after all. Minnie didn't quite know how to feel about it. Ajax was dead because she was alive, because Venus had saved her… And she didn't want to think on that. It was still painful, and probably Sage picked up on her feelings, because he diverted the topic.

"Most victors have to choose something after their victory," he said, "As in, some kind of work that you'd do. You can say that you have to decide on a career. Like, Anya chose acting, I try my hand at painting, the like."

"What will you do?" Anya asked curiously.

"I-I haven't thought about it."

In another corner, Nerissa was on her tenth drink, whereas Matthew was about to finish his first. However, he soon started coughing, coughing really hard, and Nerissa too joined him, the glass dropping from her grip. Matthew noticed that blood was dripping from his mouth, and when he looked at Nerissa, he cried out in shock and fear.

"MADAM VERITY!"

And while the Gamemaker coughed up blood, the Vice President fell on the floor, froth gathering at her mouth. Matthew could feel the commotion around him, the Peacekeepers, the medics, the media, all running towards them. He was feeling dizzy, weak, and he noticed Nerissa's mouth bleeding too, and her eyes shutting down.

He tried to call out for help, but he was bleeding so profusely that he couldn't make a single sound. Before he knew it, he had collapsed too.

Chaos ensued everywhere. Peacekeepers were dragging all the Capitolites away from the hall, as medics started taking the two poisoned people away. There were Peacekeepers who ushered the victors away, away into the safehouses nearby.

Minerva and Sage looked at each other, and a faint smile appeared on their faces, so unnoticeable that anyone else couldn't even tell that it was a smile.

And in all the chaos, nobody noticed that the pretty waitress disappeared using the crowd as a cover, neither did any Peacekeeper notice when Charles Chevrolet appeared in the safehouse with the other victors, looking as terrified as everyone else.

"What happened?!" he asked in his childish voice, sucking at his knife, large brown eyes protruding, making Minnie step back a bit.

"He's harmless," Anya told her, before hugging Chip, "Relax Chippy, nothing happened. just some bad guys attacked us."

"They want to play?" he asked, batting his eyelashes.

"I'm afraid so."

"LET'S PLAY!"

"Uh, we'd rather not," Anya smiled, keeping a firm grip on his wrist.

* * *

Much later, when the victors had arrived at another building, Charles walked with Minnie and Sage to their suite.

"Good night bro," Sage said, while Minnie still refrained from saying anything.

"Good night," the fake psychopath smiled, "Just one piece of advice for you two; if a champagne taste delicious, don't drink it."

For the first time since her time in the arena, Minerva smiled genuinely.

"Especially if it's imported."

Sage smirked, " _Especially_ if a beautiful waitress is serving it."

Charles smiled again, the smile he had given Nerissa and Matthew while serving them their death, and went on his own merry way, feeling proud of himself for tricking the biggest tricksters in the country.

* * *

The escapee boys sat silently in their bunker, and Ryder was aware Nikona still blamed himself for the death of their friends.

It had been three days already but it felt like an eternity of guilt and self-loathing. Nikona was especially affected. He had to be forced into eating food and drinking water, and Ryder wasn't liking how his friend was slipping away.

"Don't worry Nikona," Ryder said, wrapping his arms around his friend, touching his forehead with his own, closing his eyes, "Don't worry, we'll get out."

"But how Ryder?" Nikona whispered, his eyes shut too, "We're destined to die here."

"We're not, I promise we're not."

"They'll come in and they'll kill us. Or we'll just die and-"

"Don't worry," Ryder repeated firmly, "I'll make sure we get out. Alive. I'm going to save both of us. I promise."

"You've already saved me once in the Arena. Your very presence here is keeping me sane, brother. But I can't see either of us getting out of this alive."

"You're wrong. Just-just be patient."

Nikona nodded, a single tear rolling down his eye, and he hugged Ryder back again, when they both heard some movement in the corridor outside.

The two looked at each other, alarmed. They were here.

* * *

Opal knew she had knocked out a certain Adelaide, a senior Peacekeeper tasked with the security of the escapee tributes, and had taken her place. she found this laughable. It had taken her no time to make a fake identity card, no issue in taking her finger prints, and nobody seemed to notice that Adelaide looked a tad bit shorter. Was this Capitol security? It was a joke. Opal had wished there were more guards, for only ten others were present, and they would be easy to kill.

She stood outside the bunker, outside the rock that was actually a door. She had been waiting there the whole day, waiting for something to happen, probably hoping that they would realise she was not who she appeared to be, and that behind the mask was another person, a person long dead. The thought made her chuckle to herself.

"Oh man!" one of the Peacekeepers, maybe his name was Brutus, said, "I wish I was there at the party! The new victor is sooo pretty!"

"She's deadly too," another Peacekeeper, Raul, noted, "But I think the guy from Five deserved to win."

"I was so rooting for Julian."

"Minerva is cool!" Adella exclaimed, "She's just so pure and kind and strong too! Perfect victor material!"

"She deserved her victory all right," Brutus added confidently, "She's one bad witch."

"I wonder who will get her first," Raul said, "No way they're going to let go of such a beautiful girl."

Opal clenched her fist at that, and wanted to shoot them all down right away. How could these people be okay with discussing this kind of thing? She was already feeling sad about the poor victor. She probably didn't even know what was coming her way in the coming days, the so called 'clients' who were about to ruin her life. Opal knew for a fact that while trainees were trained to kill in the Academy, but they were never told what happened after winning. The mentors were threatened with the lives of their families if they uttered a word, and the poor Careers never knew what exactly they were signing up for…

"I wish _I_ could get her," Brutus muttered.

"Silence!" Opal said, her tone authoritative, mimicking the voice of Adelaide. She had already said she had a cold, in the hopes nobody would notice she was lying. Immediately, silence fell over them.

They remained quiet for a while, until suddenly Opal's or rather, Adelaide's communicator started buzzing. She flipped the screen and spoke, "This is Guardiam."

"Adelaide," her commander's voice spoke in her ear, "We have been attacked! The terrorists are probably behind this! Hold your position. I repeat, HOLD YOUR POSITION!"

"Yes sir," she said, and as the call disconnected, she looked at the other Peacekeepers, who looked as if they were waiting for her to say something.

"There was an attack at the victor's party," she said, "Brutus, take them with you! They need backup. Adella, Raul, stay here with me."

"But Ms Guardiam, shouldn't we stay here?"

"Do you want to disobey the Commander?!"

"No, no, of course not."

And without another question, eight of them left. Opal knew it wouldn't be long before they realised that sending a team of just eight people to a place of Peacekeepers was idiotic, and as soon as she was sure they were gone, she pulled out the special gun she had been working on.

Finally, she would be able to test her prototype on some _real_ targets, and she pointed the sleek device at Raul first, because she found him irritating, and pressed the button.

A very thin beam of blue light cut through the air, and before they knew it, Raul was howling in pain, writhing in pain on the ground, and Opal watched with satisfaction as his skin started melting. Adella screamed in horror and soon she was hit with the beam of light too, and then she was howling in pain too. Opal started working on the door even as the two Peacekeepers cried in pain. She looked back just once, and saw that their bodies had completely melted, that they no longer existed, and there was nothing left other than bones. Opal laughed, the sound echoing in the cave, hysterical and cruel. The rock slid aside, and with a smirk she walked into the corridor.

It was cold here, and she was glad for the Peacekeeper's uniform right now. She was also glad that her prototype was working perfectly, and now if only she could produce it on a grander scale… What chance would Snow or anyone really have?

She took off her helmet and started typing the code and soon enough the second rock slid away too. She entered the bunker, and was about to call for the escapees, when something hard hit her on the back.

With a cry, she fell forward groaning in pain, and from the corner of her eyes she noticed Ryder and Nikona stepping out of the shadows, holding a fire extinguisher. Opal was, in that moment, very glad that she was a clone and not a human, for if she were the latter, her bones would have been in smithereens right now.

"What the ***!" she cried out, and Nikona readied himself to strike another blow.

"Stop idiots! I'm here to get you out!"

And Ryder stopped Nikona from hitting her again, for he seemed to remember her from somewhere. Yes… he had seen her once, when he had accidentally walked into a meeting Regal was having with her quite confidentially, and that was the only time he had yelled at Ryder.

"Opal?" he asked softly.

"Yes!" she growled angrily, forcing herself to her feet, staggering still due to the blow, "You should feel lucky that my friends want you alive, otherwise I would have destroyed you for your audacity!"

"I- we're sorry," Ryder muttered, as Nikona set down the fire extinguisher.

"Come along now," Opal muttered, restraining herself from hitting them with the same fire extinguisher, and then pulled them after her quite roughly.

It had been a long day, and she was looking forward to some rest.

 **Hi everyone! Here's another chapter of Mirage of Lies, and I hope you guys enjoyed it! A lot happened here, and while I think it didn't flow very well, I'm still happy with it. Let me know what you guys think! Did you expect Minnie to help Chip into becoming the pretty waitress? Do you think Nerissa and Matthew will survive, or did Matt miscalculate the whole thing? Opal was successful, but will anyone find out about her? Let me know!**

 **I think I have one more chapter for this, and then we can wrap this up. Thanks for sticking to this!**

 **Have a great day!**


	41. Chapter 41

Coriolanus Snow had never fathomed this could happen.

His deputy, the vice president of Panem, was lying in that soft hospital bed, white sheets covering her, body completely stiff, chest completely unmoving. The vice president of Panem was dead. Dead.

The corpse of Nerissa Verity could tell him nothing, but Snow was appalled that she had been murdered in such a manner, in a party that she and Matthew had been overlooking, and they were both here, in this hospital. She had had too much of that toxic champagne; she never had a chance. Coriolanus shut his eyes for a second, trying to figure out how to go about it. there was no time to mourn, plus he didn't really like her as a person anyway. However, she was _his_ vice president, _his_ choice, and despite everything was loyal to him and his reign.

She had to be avenged.

He was walking down the hospital corridors now, Peacekeepers forming a circle around him, and every person just recoiling from his presence as he walked. Snow did not care though, he wanted to see him.

Of course, Matthew Hayes was still unconscious, and still quite critical. The doctors had done whatever they could, but they had said it will take at least a couple of hours to know whether he would make it or not.

Snow entered the ward, where the nurses got to their feet and bowed their heads just a little bit in greeting. He smiled at them unemotionally, and then walked over to the young man… a mere boy for him. Snow was quite fond of him, and he put his hand on his forehead that was drenched with sweat, and he looked so weak right now, so small. Snow was glad to at least feel the heat on his forehead, and he hoped he wouldn't die too. If both the vice president and the head gamemaker died in a rebel attack, how was he supposed to convince his supporters that everything was okay? Another death would be a personal blot on his legacy, and Snow couldn't let that happen. He had an image to maintain.

He asked one of the nurses to call for the doctor who was treating Matthew, and when he saw the man, young and timid, Snow couldn't help but smirk.

"Whatever you do, doctor," he whispered, walking closer to the doctor, "Make sure he survives."

* * *

It seemed that Snow's threats had managed to threaten Matthew's failing health as well, for in about a week, he was quite healthy.

He was still in the hospital, for he was feeling weak for some unknown reason, but he was out of danger. The question right now was why his body wasn't recovering completely, and why it was still too weak to actually stand for more than five, or maximum ten minutes.

He didn't mind though. He recalled how he had woken up a week ago, only to be informed of Nerissa Verity's passing. Matthew had cried then, cried bitterly, and had requested the nurses to let him see her one last time. The nurses were, obviously, quite oved by this gesture, and soon he had been escorted to the late Madam Verity's ward, where her body rested, ready to be buried the next day with full state honours. Matthew burst into tears again, throwing himself on her, sobbing, and to the onlookers it looked like the most touching moment they'd ever seen. Unknown to them, Mr Hayes was crying tears of immense joy, and probably that was why they missed it when he whispered in her ears 'Rest in pieces, Madam Verity. Love you.' And maybe that's why they missed his light smirk too when he had been taken back to his own ward.

A week later, he was here, with a certain 'cousin' of his. Matthew wished Regal would stop visiting him in hospitals. One day, he would be caught if this were to continue, and he voiced his concern to his friend, who simply retorted that he shouldn't land up in hospitals all the time.

"I still can't believe you did this," Regal muttered, looking ridiculous in that electric blue face paint.

"What can I say? I like taking risks."

"I think it was a certain risk-taker who had been wailing about how he didn't want to die."

Matthew couldn't help but laugh at that, but his jaw hurt at that, and his throat went dry, so he stopped, wincing in pain. Regal sighed, and took his friend's hand gently.

"Did they tell you when you will be discharged?"

"No," Matthew replied, shoulders slumped, "I don't think it's happening for at least another week though. Doing anything, even going to the bathroom, is a difficult task right now. I think the poison was really strong."

"Don't worry, you'll get better."

Matthew nodded, suddenly very exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to sleep at the moment, and he hated himself for it because these days he was sleeping for at least fourteen hours a day, and still feel tired. It seemed his friend got what was in his mind, so he pushed him gently into the bed, drew the curtains, and put the sheets on him, only to find that Matthew was already asleep.

Regal frowned. He had not supported this particular idea of 'dying' at all, because there was an actual threat of it happening. And while that hadn't happened, Regal was worried why Matthew wasn't recovering his energy. The doctors said he would be fine, and he hoped they were right.

He was about to leave, when the door swung open, and in stepped the man he hadn't thought he would encounter here.

Hadn't Coriolanus visited Matthew just that morning, and had a good chat? Regal froze, heart racing at an abnormal speed, and Snow paused at the door too, his cunning eyes narrowed at him.

For a few seconds, neither of them said anything. The boy just stared at the old man, wondering what to do, and how could he have been such an idiot. Snow's gaze was fixed and cold too, and regal was probably waiting for him to just order his folks in and have him and Matthew killed.

"Who are you?"

Regal was perplexed at the question. Snow knew well who he was! It was then he recalled that he was here under a disguise, having changed his complexion to fine tanned one, face painted an electric blue, hair of the same shade, eyes greener than the lushest of grass. Relief washed over him, and he smiled brightly.

"Mr President, sir," he said, making his voice higher than it was, "Such an honour to meet you! I was just visiting Matthew, I'm his friend."

And Snow was bewildered when this person grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously with both of his own, face beaming with admiration. He pulled away his hand though, narrowing his eyes even further.

"He has been attacked a week ago. How do I know you're not a terrorist?"

"You can ask him, sir," Regal replied, smiling, "He was just telling me how happy he is that you care for him so much."

"I see."

Regal didn't know what to do. Should he make an excuse and just leave? But there was nobody around, no nurse, no doctor. What if Snow did something to Matt, and then blamed it on the 'terrorists'? But, he was also afraid that his cover might blow, that Snow would just see who he was. After all, the most powerful man in Panem was in the same room as the most wanted terrorist in the country, and if his cover was blown… he didn't want to think about it.

The disturbance seemed to have woken Matthew, for he groggily opened his eyes, groaning, when his gaze fell on the president, following which he sat up straight quite hurriedly. It was then that he noticed that Snow and Regal both were looking at him, standing side by side, and the poor man felt he would faint again. _What_ on earth was _happening_?! He felt dizzy looking at them, and he braced himself for any attack, or anything. Immediately, he thought he would be killed now, and that made him gasp, with tears welling up in his eyes.

He saw Regal shaking his head ever so slightly, and Matthew wondered what happened.

"Matthew, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing, sir. Just a nightmare."

That wasn't a lie, really. Waking up to Snow and Regal standing together was nothing less than a nightmare. He needed to compose himself though, before he ended up doing something incredibly stupid.

"How are you feeling?"

"Quite fine, sir. Just… a little tired."

"I understand."

There was a silence after that, and Regal and Matthew exchanged a glance, both asking each other, 'What's going on?!' It became even worse when Snow sat down beside Matthew, and held his hand gently. Neither of the younger men had known Snow to show any kind of affection, so naturally they were both getting more agitated. It was a task to act as if everything was okay.

"This young man says he knows you," Snow mused, "Please don't mind me interfering in your personal matter, but after all that has happened, I'm a little worried. Do you know him?"

Behind Snow, Regal nodded hard, and Matthew said a meek 'yes'.

"Yeah we know each other," he said, but completely misinterpreted what he was mouthing, and said without thinking, "He's my special friend."

Regal froze on his spot, eyes widening. What did he just say…? _Special friend!_

And Matthew smiled sheepishly, knowing he had made a big blunder, and even as his eyes met his friend's, or rather, _special_ friend's, he wished he would just pass out again. He didn't want to deal with this.

Snow raised his brows at the reply, and turned to Regal, who smiled, almost grimacing.

"What's your name?"

"Tartarus."

"Mars."

Regal and Matthew's eyes met again, and this time the former was ready to kill the latter. _Why_ did he have to say anything when he wasn't asked the question?! Now Snow would be more suspicious. Regal laughed lightly and smiled again at the old man.

"It's Mars Tartarus," he said, "I just find Tartarus to be cooler than Mars."

"Yeah! That's right," Matthew added, smiling. He hoped Snow wouldn't push for further details. He was usually a man of few words, and while Matthew knew he couldn't really be fooled this easily, he could hope. Fortunately for him, Snow didn't push the matter further, and dismissed 'Mars Tartarus'. It was such a ridiculous name that Matthew wanted to laugh.

Regal didn't want to leave Matthew alone with Snow, but he had no choice. And so, he left the ward, cursing his friend in his heart. He had just been given extra work to do. Regal was sure Snow would check whether there was a Mars Tartarus in the Capitol or not; he had looked extremely suspicious. Regal wondered for a moment what exactly Snow wanted to talk about with Matthew, but he could worry about that later. As he started walking towards the gate of the hospital, he realised he needed to create records, verifiable records, of this Mars Tartarus. The enormity of his troubled situation dawned on him now, and he wanted to slap himself for the stupidity of miscalculating that Sow could turn up to meet Matthew again. At least he had the sense to disguise.

What on earth did he get himself into…!

* * *

"Oh man, I'm so glad to see you both safe!"

The environment in that small cell in District Thirteen was jovial, albeit a little sad. Cress embraced Ryder and Nikona tightly; it had been months since they had met. Considering that the twins were dead too, Cress was happy to see these two alive and safe.

Both the boys had lost at least ten kilograms of weight. They kind of looked ill too. Cress knew they must be longing the sun and the outside world, he longed for it too, but at least the boys wouldn't be alone anymore. even as he released them, Anya hugged them tightly, sobbing hard. Cress knew Anya was close to the twins, especially Raylic, and it pained him to see her this way, a crying mess. It pained him even more when, seeing her cry, Nikona started crying too.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear, arms wrapped tightly around her body, "I'm really sorry."

"I'm j-j-just happy t-to see-see you h-here," Anya sobbed, giving him a peck on the cheek, before giving Ryder one too. She cupped the latter's face in her hand and then turned back to Nikona, looking between the two boys.

"I'm sorry. I-I should've v-v-visited more often."

"You were busy," Ryder said, "It was childish of us to expect that you could show up."

"N-no. I sh-should have…"

And her shoulders slumped as she sank down to the floor. Cress understood what she was going through. She considered herself responsible for the escapees' safety, and considered that she had failed in that regard. She shouldn't blame herself though, Cress believed, for she had done whatever she could to keep those four alive. Regal had not wanted them to be brought to Thirteen, ever not even now. He had been in favour of another bunker in the Capitol, but Opal had simply disregarded his suggestion and brought them here. Cress was glad that she did; the whole reason this happened was because they had been locked in a bunker for months.

Cress knew just what t do to cheer everyone up.

He marched into the bathroom, aware that Alan's confused gaze had followed him, and locked the door. Thirteen was a place where not a lot of fun items were available, but Opal was a great friend, who arranged for everything Cress could ask for; toys, whoopie cushions, paints, video games… just about anything. And right now, he was quickly putting on the costume that she had given him earlier. He hadn't had the chance to use it yet, but now it was here.

So, when Nikona finally helped Anya get up again, enveloping her in another hug, he got the shock of his life when he saw an orange banana walking towards them. It was so bizarre in a place like Thirteen that Nikona just released Anya without even realising, and she did too, and everyone just stared at the human-sized orange banana in awe, jaws on the floor.

"Oooohhhh!" the Banana said, wagging its fingers like a ghost, and it was so stupid that inadvertently everyone started laughing, laughing hard.

" _Seriously?!"_ Alan remarked, saying his first word ever since the boys got here, his eyes full of amusement.

"Cress, _how_ on earth did you get that?!" Ryder asked, momentarily all the trouble forgotten.

"My good friend, Opal, gifted it to me. She said I'll be the most handsome guy at any place if I wear this, and I guess she was right. I mean, you guys are all staring at me."

"Obviously we are," Anya said, smiling although her eyes were bleak, "You're an _orange_ banana. Ever heard of an _orange banana_?"

"I wish you could become a yellow orange," Alan winked.

"Ha!" Cress said, "Then you guys would have felt so insecure."

They all laughed at that, and Cress was glad that he could be of some help. Ever since Snow's people had discovered that he was a rebel, the victor of the 60th Games had been in hiding, and was unable to contribute much. That frustrated him beyond belief.

However, he was glad that, even if for a few minutes, he could bring a smile on the faces of his friends.

* * *

It had been a month since the attack on Matthew and Nerissa. The whole of Panem was on high alert now, the security tightened much more than earlier. Snow would have definitely found out about the rescue of the escapees as well. Whatever the matter, it had been hard for Regal to create fake records of the person called Mars Tartarus.

Had he not had enough contacts in the right places, it would have been impossible. But right now, the records were all present, and could be verified as well. He had even found a couple who would say that he was their son if questioned, and that they had home schooled him. He had enrolled himself in a distance learning History programme for Bachelors, so that it appeared that he was a student. Lastly, a kind fashion designer, who was also a rebel supporter, had agreed to say that he worked for her at the boutique. Regal was still angry with Matthew and himself for putting him through this mess, and had not been able to see his friend at all. What angered him even more was that he had to wear that stupid disguise much more often now, and he was getting allergic of electric blue now.

Right now, though, he was himself, and not that idiotic Mars Tartarus. Honestly, _why_ did he have such a name? Well, that had been just fate. He was in his own bunker now, watching the TV for news. It was all the usual; how the rebels were hell-bent on destroying Panem, why every citizen should unite against them, and then a Capitol fashion show. Regal was about to switch off the TV, for he had absolutely no interest in a fashion show, when the words 'BREAKING NEWS' flashed on the screen.

Regal paused, eyes furrowed in anticipation. However grave the situation, Capitol news channels _never_ interrupted fashion shows, despite them not even being news. He watched, and was surprised to see Snow and Matthew, in Snow's new office as Regal had bombed the old one, and they were both smiling. Snow had a cold and calculating smile, and Matthew too, had adopted his public persona, eyes cold, a smirk on his handsome face.

"This is a short message for Panem, and for these terrorists that are trying to destroy this beautiful country," Snow said calmly, "One month ago, our country lost our very talented vice president. Madam Verity has achieved martyrdom, for she was assassinated by these anti-national forces. We will not let the culprits get away. We will avenge Nerissa Verity, and bring these hate-mongers to justice! Panem, we will not remain quiet.

"These anti-nationals also tried to assassinate our head-gamemaker, challenging our very traditions. They tried to kill our son, but he's stronger than that. He has emerged again. His strength is commendable. Even when he was poisoned himself, his whole focus had been on Madam Verity, the brave daughter of our country. Thus, my council and I believe that he is the one who can continue her legacy."

Regal stared at the screen, wide-eyed. What on _earth_ was happening?! Continue her legacy?! That could only mean one thing…

"Panem, I present to you your newest and youngest ever vice president- Matthew Hayes."

"WHAT THE HELL!" Regal cried out, unable to believe what he was hearing, what he was seeing. It was Matthew now who was speaking, thanking the president, thanking Panem, and giving a nice hate speech for the 'anti-nationals', but Regal couldn't register them at all. He just stared at his friend and Snow, his mind boggled. Matthew was not even thirty! He had no experience in politics! Sure, he did help out, but he was never actively involved. _Why_ would Snow choose such an inexperienced _boy_ to be the vice president?! Regal didn't doubt his friend's abilities, he knew he could be a capable leader when the time came, but this? _Vice President?!_ A twenty-nine-year old guy?

This was too good to be true.

And Regal's heart was racing. Snow would not take any step without any reason. There had to be one behind this move too. Did he suspect Matthew? Did he know Mars was him? Was he in any way hoping to draw out the rebels?

This news had rattled him completely, and even as the fashion show started again, he shut down the TV, holding his head, thinking. He needed to get out of this mess. He needed to get Matt out of this mess.

"Oh man… why?!"

 **Ah so here's another chapter, and I hope this was interesting! I first thought about having last one long chapter, but then I decided against it, and the next chapter will probably be the last instead of this. Did you think Snow and Regal would walk into each other and the former would get away (as Mars Tartarus no less)? Would you like to have an orange banana or a yellow orange? XD Did you think Snow would make Matt the VP? Also, is Regal's concern over this news justified or is he just overreacting? Let me know!**

 **Have a great day!**

 **PS: I'll try my best to finish this before 26** **th** **so that it gets completed within a year. Yep.**


	42. Chapter 42

Neither of the girls knew what to say or do.

Minnie looked awkwardly at Raiza, who had an unfazed look on her own small face. The eyes of the younger girl betrayed the hesitance she felt though, and the older one fidgeted slightly. It didn't help that they had been in the arena together. Sure, they didn't really know each other, but they had been there, and Minnie had killed Raiza's friend. Yes, it was true that she had come to terms with that particular death, and acknowledged that she had no choice in that moment, but it did not make it easier to look the child in the eye.

"Hey."

Raiza Relic was the first to talk for she didn't want to make it anymore uncomfortable. She didn't blame Minerva for anything, she was mature enough to know how things worked, and it would be stupid to burn bridges without even knowing the other person. After all, her family was 'dead', and she would live here in the Capitol. She had been assigned a house with servants and Raiza was surprised at this treatment. Nonetheless, she knew she had to be careful when here.

That didn't mean, however, that she couldn't visit the victor.

"Hi," Minnie greeted back warmly, the initial awkwardness reducing just a bit. They still stood quite apart, and after the greeting, neither girl knew what else to do.

"So," Raiza started, "You're going back home tomorrow?"

"Yes," Minnie replied, "I would've gone earlier, but my sister Michelle had a surgery recently and the doctors wanted her to stay here for just long enough to see if everything was okay and if she'd need help."

"Ah…"

Before either of them could add anything, the door swung open and the third survivor from their Games entered the room, looking completely different from earlier, looking quite pretty actually, and a lot less angry. The two girls were surprised to see her, and she too seemed unsure of why she was there.

Junova had returned to District Ten only to find that her father and brother had disappeared. Sure, she never particularly liked them, but it was still hard. She had, however, come to terms with it. At least she was alive, and she was here in the Capitol. She had been told she'd have to live with Raiza and she didn't quite know how to feel about it.

"June?" the other two girls said, surprised on seeing her there.

"I'm living with you," June said, not bothering with greetings, or perhaps she was too overwhelmed to form one.

"Oh, great," Raiza replied, and the awkwardness reached a whole new level now. Minnie wondered why June was here if she wanted to talk to Raiza, but figured that maybe she wanted to talk to her as well and just didn't know how to go about it. After all, they had all been competing to kill each other.

"Uh, please sit down guys," she said to the younger girls and was quite surprised that they both did just that. Just to do something, Minnie went over to the mini fridge in her room and came back with orange juice and glasses. She would have preferred alcohol but Raiza was a child.

"So uh, how're you guys doing?" she asked as she poured out three glasses of juice.

"Pretty good actually," June replied, "Like, family's dead but I'm alive so."

"Yeah, same," Raiza muttered.

"By the way, congrats on being the victor."

"Yeah. Congratulations."

"Well, thanks…"

All the three girls leaned back into their chairs, looking at each other. This was going to be a long night…I

* * *

It would have been great to be back in District Four had things not soured so much.

Minnie had never anticipated this to happen. She was still dumbfounded, sitting still on the wooden bench in her very own garden in her house in the Victor's village. She'd just had a fight, a fight with a person she'd never expected to have one with.

 _Minerva was thinking, thinking hard about the last few days in the Games. It all played in her mind; the game of truth and dare, her killing Julian and then her killing Venus, the vision morphing into a dead Arbor. She was back home now, with enough time to think, and couldn't help it. She didn't want to replay the events in her mind, it hurt so much, but she couldn't stop. There were no tears this time though, just a sadness in her heart. It had been her decision, a conscious one too, and she was done with blaming the universe for what happened. The blood was in her hands and nobody else's._

 _That didn't mean it wasn't painful to think about it though._

" _I shouldn't have done that," she sighed to herself, unaware of another presence._

" _Shouldn't have done what?"_

" _Volunteer."_

 _It was after she had answered that she noticed who had asked this question. It was Michelle, her little sister, the most precious person in her life. And yet, when she saw Michelle's face, she couldn't quite place why she looked so upset._

" _Why Minnie?" she asked as tears pooled in her eyes, "Aren't you happy that I can be myself?"_

" _I am happy Michelle. But-"_

" _But what? My happiness wasn't worth it? Ever since you've come out of the arena you've been this way. As if- as if I don't mean enough!"_

" _You're wrong!" Minnie retorted heatedly, feeling extremely tired, "You mean the world to me!"_

" _Then why aren't you happy?"_

" _BECAUSE I KILLED IN THERE! I KNEW WHAT I WAS GETTING INTO BUT I DID IT! Those three people… they don't EXIST anymore, and all because of ME! And no, NOTHING IS WORTH THAT!"_

 _The moment the words had left her lips, Minerva regretted it, for Michelle was really crying now, and before she could say anything, the younger girl ran from there, sobbing. Minerva had, after all, never yelled at her in her entire life._

And now Minnie was just staring at the house that was now hers. She should probably go and talk to Michelle, and tell her how much she loves her and how much she's willing to do for her, but she can't get up, feeling too empty.

She felt someone sit down beside her, and she muttered a dry 'hey' to Sagittarius Ryans, who put his arm around her comfortingly, and she slightly leaned towards him, eyes still fixed on the house.

"I understand," he whispered, "But maybe you should go and talk to her."

"I…I don't want to. I mean I want to but-"

"I understand," Sage whispered, "If you want, I'll go and talk to her."

"You will?"

"Yeah, if you want-"

Before Sage could complete his sentence, Minnie had thrown her arms around him tightly, and he soon returned the hug, both the victors holding each other in a tight and silent embrace, feeling the warmth that they both needed. Minnie released him with a slight smile and nodded.

"I think I'll go and talk to her."

With that, she stood up and her former mentor stood up with her, holding her hand gently.

"She'll understand, don't worry."

"I'm sure she will."

Apparently, Minnie didn't really have to do much, for Michelle soon came out of the house, looking awkward and Minerva crouched down in front of her, smiling sadly.

"Sorry for yelling at you, kiddo," she said softly, reaching for Michelle's small hands and holding them, looking into her eyes.

"I should have been more understanding," Michelle muttered, "I'm so sorry too Minnie. You always look out for me and I-"

"Shush child."

And the elder sister pulled the younger one in an embrace, who returned it. Minnie stroked her hair gently, well aware that such arguments were bound to happen in the future too, and there was a threat that they could drift apart. However, as long as possible, she wasn't going to let it happen.

And Sagittarius watched from a few steps away, a slight smile on his face, when the sisters beckoned to him to join them. The boy stood rooted to the spot for a moment; why would they want him? And yet, he was drifting towards them, and soon the three of them were wrapped in a group hug.

Things may get worse in the future, but it was a good moment.

 **Ah, here it is, the epilogue. It could have been longer, but I am sick so I settled for this short chapter instead.**

 **It's amazing that it's ending on the same day that it started: 26** **th** **December, exactly one year later. It's a great feeling to finish this story because I loved every single thing about it. Yes, there were things that could have been done better, but I think it was decent enough in the end. I want to thank everyone who submitted a character to this story; your contribution to the story is immense and I'm grateful that you sent your characters here when there are so many other stories out there, wonderful stories too. I also want to thank everyone who's been reading this, your support is invaluable and your feedback will definitely help me improve.**

 **So, for the final time, please let me know what you thought of the story, if anything/anyone stood out to you and if you enjoyed it.**

 **So here it ends. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**

 **Have a great day!**


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